Nigerian Lawyer, Yusuf Temilola Nurudeen, has gained the International Bar Association (IBA) Pro Bono Award, for his commitmentx to increasing entry to justice for indigent and susceptible folks.
Nurudeen acquired the award on October 8, 2026, through the IBA’s annual awards breakfast in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was offered by Babatunde Ajibade, SAN, Chair of the IBA Section on Public and Professional Interest for 2025–2026.
He devoted the popularity to 141 volunteer Lawyers, working throughout 18 Nigerian States by the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development, also referred to as The Pro Bono Centre, offering authorized help to folks unable to afford illustration.
In his acceptance speech, Nurudeen traced his dedication to justice to his upbringing in Ikotun, Lagos, the place he grew to become the primary Lawyer in his household. He recalled how wrongful imprisonment might have disadvantaged his father of freedom, and probably ended his personal skilled ambitions.
He highlighted susceptible Nigerians who stay detained as a result of they can not afford Lawyers, girls trapped in abusive marriages, kids denied upkeep and households going through property losses with out entry to authorized illustration.
Nurudeen insisted that poverty ought to by no means decide whether or not residents can defend their rights, describing professional bono service as an expert accountability, reasonably than charity.
He mentioned the award was not a sign that their work was completed, however an encouragement to develop their attain and deepen their dedication to justice. Nurudeen reaffirmed his dedication to make sure that no one is just too poor to acquire authorized defence, too powerless to be heard, or too marginalised to obtain safety below the legislation.
