ABOUT LATEEF FAGBEMI
Biography
Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is a distinguished Nigerian lawyer and a proud alumnus of the University of Jos, where he obtained his LL.B. in 1984. He proceeded to the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Bar in August 1985. He later earned his LL.M. from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1987 and, in 2025, successfully completed an M.Sc. in Taxation Law at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Mr. Fagbemi’s rise in the legal profession has been remarkable. In 1996, at just 10 years at the Bar, he was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), one of the youngest ever to attain that distinction.
He is a Fellow of several esteemed institutions, including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Nigeria), National Judicial Institute (FNJI) and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (FNIALS). Additionally, he is a respected member of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigerian (CITN).
His contributions to legal scholarship are extensive, with publications and lectures on constitutional law, electoral reforms, corruption, governance, and the role of law in nation-building.
His service to the legal profession also includes, among others, membership in the Body of Benchers as a Life Bencher, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, and the Council of Legal Education.
He has also served with distinction as Chairman of the Governing Council of Yaba College of Technology for two consecutive terms (2017-2023).
On August 21, 2023, Fagbemi was appointed as the 24th Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (HAGF) by HE President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
As a staunch advocate for Justice Sector Reforms, Mr Fagbemi has significantly advanced Nigerian jurisprudence, with numerous landmark decisions to his credit, one of the most significant being the 11th of July, 2024 Supreme Court decision, which affirmed the political and financial autonomy of each of the 774 Local Government Councils in Nigeria.
His tenure as HAGF, has been focused on driving and advancing the rule of Law and championing the Justice sector welfare and reform initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the incumbent administration.
In recognition of his significant contributions to the Legal Profession and the Nigerian Society, Fagbemi was awarded a PhD (honoris causa) by Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, in 2025.
