BABATUNDE ADENIRAN ADEJUMO, OFR

HONOURABLE JUSTICE BABATUNDE ADENIRAN ADEJUMO

(OFR, MCIArb, GFISMN, CFAIR, FCIArb, FNILS, DFIOARM) was born

in Ikaram-Akoko, Ondo State on 1st October, 1954. He is the immediate past president of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria. He served as the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria between 5th May, 2003 and 30th September, 2019, where he made significant contributions to the development of Labour, Industrial and Employment laws both statutorily and constitutionally in Nigeria. He has developed the labour and work place related jurisprudence in Nigeria. Amongst his many achievements, is the inclusion of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in the Constitution by virtue of the third alteration which placed the Court at par with the Federal High Court, and the High Courts of the states and that of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Hon. Justice B.A. Adejumo, OFR was a Chief Magistrate in the old Ondo State between 1994 and 1995. He was a Deputy Chief Registrar 1 of the Supreme Court of Nigeria between 1995 and 1998, he was a Secretary Advisory Judicial Committee (AJC) and secretary to the Legal Practitioner Privileges Committee between 1995 and 1998. He became a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Federal Judicial Service Commission in 2010 and 2019 when he bowed out of the judicial service in 2019.

Prior to his appointment as the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, he served in the Ondo State Judiciary as a High Court Judge between 5th November, 1998 and 5th May, 2003. Before his elevation to the High Court Bench, he practiced as a private legal practitioner in Lagos Nigeria for five years between 1986 and 1991. In 1991 he was elected into the old Ondo State House of Assembly where he served as the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Fundamental Human Rights and Public Petitions between November 1994 and December 1995.

Justice Adejumo, OFR, attended and completed his Bachelor of Laws degree program at the University of lfe, lle-Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Nigeria between 1982 and 1985. He attended the Nigerian Law School, Victoria- Island, Lagos between 1985 and 1986. Since his retirement as the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, he has been actively engaged in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). His Lordship honorably retired from judicial service of the nation on 30th Sept, 2019 at the statutory retiring age of 65years.

When he was appointed as the President of the court, the court was then 25years old and he met 125 staff of which only 5 were graduates while only 1 staff was on grade level 13. As at the time he retired from service, the total number of staff of the court was about 2,700 of which not less than 600 were graduates. During His Lordship’s tenure as the president of the court, he encouraged and promoted manpower development of both junior and senior cadres nationally and internationally. He sponsored staffers of the court to trainings nationally and internationally across continents of the world.

He received scores of Honours and Awards nationally and internationally, to mention few amongst others are:

• National Honour, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) on 22nd December, 2008 by His Excellency, Mr. President, Umaru Musa Yar’adua, GCFR, President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom and
• Ondo State Man of the Year, December
• Grand Fellow, Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria (GFISMN) – 27th March,
• Chartered Fellow, The Institute of Administrator and Researchers of Nigeria (CFIAR) – 11th March, 2011
• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigeria (FCIArb) – 15th November
• Fellow, National Institute of International Labour Society (FNILS) – 28th 2013.

• Fellow, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (F-ICMC) – 29th 2016.
• Member, National Association of Court Management, Canada and S (MNACM (CAN.)) – 2018 etc. Time and space will not permit us to list and mention all.

SOME OF HISAWARDSAND HONOURS RECEIVEDARE:

• Special recognition award in recognition of leadership quality and continuous support for the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) -14th August 2005, by
• Outstanding Achievement in the Legal Profession 2005/2006. Given by the Law Student Society, Faculty of Law,
• Honorary award 2006/2007. Given by the Nigerian Association of Muslim Law Student, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State.
• Award of Excellence in Recognition of Humanity & Selfless service to Nigeria & Humanity, 2006/2007. Given by the Student Society, Faculty of Law, UNIJOS
• Award of appreciation for the contributions to the success of the 1st Faculty of Law National Conference, December Given by University of Abuja.
• 2007 Vanguard Hope of Merit Award, friend of the less privileged in Given by Global Hope & Justice.
• 2007 Award of Excellence in Recognition of Immeasurable Contribution to the Industrial-Labour Justice in Given by Students’ Association, Kogi State University, Ayingba.
• Award of Excellence in recognition of His Contributions to National Development, 17th July, Given by National Association of Ondo State Student.
• Award of Excellence in recognition of outstanding achievement & unpararallel contribution to the Nigerian state, 4th October, 2007.
• Award of Appreciation in Recognition of Quality Leadership, November Presented by NIC staff study tour to New Jersey, USA.
• Honourary Award of Commentator, All Nigerian Judges Conference. Given by the National Judicial Institute, 5th – 9th November, 2007.
• Distinguish Son of Ikaram Land Given by Ikaram Progressive Union, 22nd December, 2007.
• Honourary Award of Excellence in Recognition of Outstanding Performance in Promoting the Given by Justice Umaru Abdullahi Chambers, University of Abuja.
• African Meritorious Service Award for Good Given by Africa International Media Organization.
• Award of Excellence in Recognition of Outstanding Performance & Contributions to the Legal Given by Law Students Association of Nigeria, LAWSAN, University of Abuja Chapter.
• Dr. Martin Luther King Award for Leadership Excellence in Judiciary.
• Meritorious Diamond Award for National Development. MEDA Given by Corporate & Media Africa Communication Limited.
• African Leader of Integrity Merit Award 2008 – 14th August, Given by Africa International News Magazine.

Hon. Justice B.A. Adejumo, OFR is a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute and he is happily married to Hon. Justice Abimbola Obaseki “ADEJUMO” of Justice of the Court of Appeal (JCA) and they are blessed with children and grandchildren.