BY EMEKA NWADIOKE

Renowned law teacher and first female Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Chioma Kanu Agomo will today deliver an Exaugural Lecture heralding her retirement from the university after over 40 years illustrious teaching career.

Titled “The reflections of a working woman in the University of Lagos workspace: 1980–2021,” the lecture promises to be a tour de force on the intersection between law, teaching, administration and gender issues among others.

Organized by the Faculty of Law, the blended event which holds at 3 pm is available via Zoom at Meeting ID: 81540067549 with Pass code as 652879. In line with strict observance of COVID-19 protocols, stakeholders are strongly encouraged to watch a live streaming of the exaugural lecture at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81540067549?pwd=SklWVXpYZE1SWnczYkkwWWMweVRjQT09.

Coming on the heels of an unblemished career which saw her become not only the pioneer female Dean of Law but also the first female to be elected Dean of a faculty since the establishment of the university in 1962, Agomo’s retirement from UNILAG is viewed by many jurists as the end of an era.

An expert in sundry areas of law including the law of contract, labour law, insurance law as well as gender and human rights, the respected jurist will retire from UNILAG on Monday, March 1, 2021 being the day she will clock 70 years.

Already, several events have been lined up to herald her celebrated exit from the ivory tower. Aside from a Special Board of Studies session also organised by the Faculty of Law, a Thanksgiving Service will hold on March 1, 2021 at 10 am at the Chapel of Christ Our Light, University of Lagos, Akoka. The Thanksgiving Service will be streamed live at bit.ly/agomothanksgiving. Also, an autobiography titled “My Story, My Song” will be unveiled the same day at 1 pm at the church’s Global Christian Centre (GCC) Auditorium. Admission to the events is strictly restricted in observance of COVID-19 protocols.

While the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe is the Chief Host for both events, the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip (FNIALS) is the Special Guest of Honour. The Guests of Honour are Prof. Fidelis Oditah, QC SAN and Bar. Chris Ezem, Secretary to Abia State Government. The book presentation will be chaired by Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, while renowned law teacher and jurist, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, SAN is the book presenter. The book reviewer is Prof. Chimdi Maduagwu, Director of the Confucius Institute at UNILAG. Attendance at both events is however strictly restricted, due to COVID-19 regulations.

Prof. Agomo was born on March 1, 1951 to Sir Henry Kanu Offonry OFR and Madam Chijiago Stella Udeogu of Nkpa in Bende Local Government of Abia State. Chioma’s parents separated in 1954, when she was three years old. She was thereafter, raised by her paternal grandmother, Madam Nnenne Ogbodiya.

After her early education, she was admitted by Queen Mary College, University of London to read Law in 1973. She graduated in 1976 with an Upper Honours Bachelor’s degree and earned her Master of Laws (LLM) degree (with Merit) in 1977.

She returned to Nigeria in September 1979 and enrolled at the Nigerian Law School. She was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1980. From September 1980, she undertook her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) primary assignment in the Department of Commercial and Industrial Law, University of Lagos. She was retained immediately after her service year in 1981, and thus began her UNILAG career that has spanned almost 41 years. Agomo rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Law of the University of Lagos in 2001, notionally backdated to 1999.

She is a member of the Board of Trustees of various organisations including the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) and Prison Fellowship Nigeria (PFN); Council and Life Member of the Nigerian Society of International Law; Member, Nigerian Bar Association; former Chairperson, Chapel Committee, Chapel of Christ Our Light, University of Lagos, and currently its honorary Legal Adviser. Professor Agomo is an Honorary Fellow of her alma mater, Queen Mary College, University of London, and a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators.

Prof. Agomo is married to Dr. Philip Agomo. She is a proud mother of two biological sons and two grand-daughters, and is also blessed with many non-biological children and grand-children, who have all enriched her life.

She has written several books and articles including: Modern Nigeria Law of Insurance; Law and Industrial Relations – Nigeria, Gender and Human Rights in Nigeria. She has also co-authored numerous publications including: Human Rights of Workers in Nigeria: The Role Of The Courts; Law and Industrial Relations – Nigeria (Monograph) in International Encyclopaedia of Laws; The Right to Work and the Right to Strike in Nigeria, Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference of Law Teachers; Legal Education in the Development and Regulation of Economic Activities in Nigeria: Proceedings of the 24th Conference of the Nigeria Association of Law Teachers and many others.

For the full Zoom link details, please see below:
FACULTY OF LAW UNILAG is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: EXAUGURAL LECTURE BY PROFESSOR CHIOMA K. AGOMO: The Reflections of a Working Woman in the University of Lagos Workspace (1980-2021)
Time: Feb 25, 2021 03:00 PM West Central Africa

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81540067549?pwd=SklWVXpYZE1SWnczYkkwWWMweVRjQT09

Meeting ID: 815 4006 7549
Passcode: 652897
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,81540067549# US (New York)
+13017158592,,81540067549# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 815 4006 7549
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kP0MfUfbh

Copyright 2020 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.