By Rahila Dauda
Early Years and Education
Mrs. Joyce Oduah ACFE FICMC is a Legal Practitioner and the Managing Partner of Joyce Oduah & Co., a law firm situate in Festac Town, Lagos. She is from Akwa Ibom State by birth and from Anambra State by marriage. She attended Army Children Primary School, Oron, then in Cross River State (now Akwa Ibom State) from 1974 to 1980 where she showed leadership qualities and was made the Senior Prefect. Her secondary education was at Comprehensive Secondary School, Okobo from 1980 to 1985 where she was also made the Senior School Prefect because she was always top of her class academically, exemplified integrity and exhibited strong leadership traits. She obtained her ‘A’ levels at School of Basic Studies, Akamkpa, Cross River State in 1987.
In the year 1990, Joyce obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of University of Lagos. She was called to the Bar on 10th December 1991 after which she served for one year at the Ministry of Justice, Ogun State as a National Youth Service Corp member. She completed her Masters’ Degree Program in the University of Lagos in 1997.
Entry into Corporate Practice and Litigation
Immediately after the completion of the NYSC program in 1992, she joined the corporate world as a Legal Officer in General Oil Ltd. As a result of her hard work, diligence and dexterity, she was promoted in 1994 to the position of Legal Coordinator of the Company and as a result of her commitment to service, became the first lawyer in the history of General Oil to attend the Company’s Board meetings. In this capacity, she was able to proffer solutions to difficult issues which the company was confronted with.
Because of her desire for active legal practice, she resigned from General Oil Ltd in 1996 to join the law firm of Steve Nwagbo & Co. where she sharpened her edge in litigation and corporate practice before proceeding to set up her law firm, Joyce Oduah & Co. She was appointed a Notary Public in 2018.
SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE NBA
Service to the NBA
Her life of service and leadership is manifested in her activities in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). She was introduced to the National body of the NBA in 1992 during her days as a Youth Corp member,when she was selected as a rapporteur to a meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Her effectiveness as a rapporteur was proved in the comprehensive and eloquent report she submitted. Consequently, a letter of commendation was given to her and she was invited to be a rapporteur in the NBA Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt that same year. This was during the leadership of Chief Mrs. Priscilia Kuye after which the NBA went into limbo until 1998. The events of that conference left an indelible impression on Joyce; having witnessed first-hand the disagreement that led to the breakup of the NBA in 1992, Joyce is passionately committed to the unity, effectiveness and growth of the association.
Since then, she has been an active member of the NBA and has not looked back. Her love for the Association has led her to serve in various capacities. She was the 1st Assistant Secretary 2000 – 2002 (Lagos Branch), Publicity Secretary 2007 – 2009 (Lagos Branch), Social Secretary 2009 – 2011 (Lagos Branch). As Publicity Secretary, she observed the apathy of members towards attendance of monthly meetings and realized that this was caused by an emotional disconnection between the members and the association. Her strategy to solve this problem was to ensure that members felt loved and cared for. She put up a comprehensive register of members, painstakingly transferred them to the telephone and sent each member messages prior to meetings. Knowing that members usually came for meetings straight from court or office and would be hungry, she made a proposal for the incorporation of feeding into the monthly meetings. She also proposed the cutting of cake to celebrate members’ birthdays for the month. These proposals were accepted by the Executive Committee. This not only boosted participation at monthly meetings but also increased the revenue of the branch because members were more willing to pay monthly dues as they felt cherished. The effectiveness of this strategy led other branches to adopt the feeding and cutting of cake into their monthly meetings.
On the basis of her track record for relentless hard work and best results ,Joyce has served in various capacities in several committees of the NBA, Lagos Branch. She was the Chairperson, Committee to Inaugurate the Standing Committees of Lagos Branch & the Ceremony to Honour Chief G.N. Uwechie SAN on his appointment as the Chairman, Body of Benchers 2010. She was also the Chairperson, Committee to Honour Newly Appointed Life Benchers, Benchers & Newly Elected President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association 2011. In her tenure as Social Secretary, she was the Alternate Chairperson, Welfare Committee; Chairperson, Sub-Committee on Media & Communication, Law Week. In 2012 she was Chairperson, Committee on Research & Planning of the Law Week. She was a Member, Law Week Committee, Lagos Branch from 2007 – 2012. She was also a Member, Bar Dinner Committee, Lagos Branch from 2007 – 2011. She participated as a Member, Continuing Legal Education and Mentoring Committee, Lagos Branch from 2017 – 2019, and she is presently the Secretary of the Welfare Committee NBA Lagos 2019 – 2021.
Service as National Treasurer: Introduction of Bar Code and Customized Teller
In 2012, she was elected the National Treasurer of the NBA and served until 2014. In that position, she introduced the Branch Bar Code system which is a legacy she has left for the NBA. The old model for payment of bar practising fees (BPF) was burdensome for NBA members, the branches and the national body. Previously, when a member paid BPF in the bank, the teller was presented to the branches who in turn sent the tellers to the National Secretariat, Abuja in bulk or batches. The National body then had to sort the receipt and allocate 10% of the total sum to the branches based on the number of tellers submitted by the branches. The problem was that not all lawyers submitted their tellers to the branches, and so the branches could not claim the exact amount they were entitled to. This was cumbersome and ineffective for all stakeholders concerned. Before taking the position of Treasurer, Joyce had noted this as a problem and began to think of an innovative, strategic way to solve it. The solution was in the Branch Barcode system which she implemented while in office. Now, with the software for NBA barcode and customized teller, members can pay their BPF from anywhere in the world. With the barcode, the branch is identified and the percentage for individual branches are calculated and sent automatically. This has proven to increase the revenue for the branches. For example, Lagos which barcode is 058 used to receive about four hundred thousand naira (N400,000) as at 2012, but after the introduction of the Barcode by Joyce, the revenue accruing to Lagos increased to Six million, fifty-six thousand, five hundred naira (N6,056,500) as at 2013. Recently, in 2019, Lagos received Thirteen million, five hundred thousand naira (N13,500,000) as a result of the Branch Barcode.
Membership of National Executive Committee (NEC), NBA Committees and Sections
Joyce has been a member of various committees and subcommittees for the National Bar events. Also, she has served as a National Executive Committee (NEC) member for a period spanning many NBA administrations from 2008 to 2018. They include the tenures of His Excellency, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN 2008-2010; Okechukwu Wali SAN 2012 – 2014; Augustine Alegeh SAN 2014 – 2016 and Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud SAN 2016 – 2018. She was a Member, NBA National Secretariat House Fund Raising Committee; Member, NBA Finance Committee 2012 – 2014 and Member, Technical Committee on Conference Planning 2014 – 2015. Joyce is a member of several NBA Sections including: Section on Business Law (SBL), Section on Legal Practice(SLP) and Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL). In the 2019 SPIDEL Conference, she was a panelist and presented a paper titled “Executive Orders as Tools of Governance: Prospects and Challenges.” Other papers she has presented include “Nigerian Security Challenges, Restructuring an Option?” at the NBA Badagry Law Week 2020.
Passion for Young Lawyers
In her consistent passion for the development of young lawyers, she sponsored five young lawyers to participate in the SPIDEL conference. She also sponsors young lawyers to attend NBA conferences and seminars. She takes it upon herself to pay Bar practicing fees for her staff as well as other young lawyers within her reach who have difficulty paying.
Membership of FIDA and EBF
She is a member of the International Federation of Women Lawyer (FIDA) and was in the Publicity Committee of FIDA, Lagos from 2011 – 2012. She is presently the Chairperson, FIDA Lagos Property Development Committee 2019 – 2021 and Member, FIDA Lagos Litigation Committee 2019 – 2021. She has been a member Eastern Bar Forum since 2012.
Awards for contributions to the NBA
She has also been a recipient of a number of awards for her commitment and service to the NBA, among which are: Selfless Service Award by NBA,2014;Award of Recognition by NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) 2019; Service Award by NBA, Lagos Branch 2019;Award of Excellence by NBA, Owo Branch, 2019. Joyce was also appointed as a Patroness of NBA, Owo Branch in 2019.
International and National Seminars and Conferences
Due to Joyce’s commitment to value added practice,interest in the NBA and drive for professional networking she has attended several national and international conferences and seminars. She has not missed the Nigerian Bar Association General Conferences from 1992, 2002 to 2019. She was a part of the conference on Section of Legal Practice in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2019; Conference on the Review of the Criminal Justice in Nigeria from 2012 to 2018; Conference on the Review of Electoral Justice System in Nigeria ,2012;Section on Business Law (SBL) Conference from 2007 to 2019; Anti-Corruption Seminar, 2013; Peace & Security Summit, 2013 and NBA Rule of Law Action Group, 2013. She took part in the, International Bar Association (IBA) Conference in Singapore, 2007; Argentina, 2008; Boston, 2013. In Boston, she was required by the NBA to understudy the functioning of the IBA Secretariat and its Conference Planning Committee. She participated in the IBA Regional Conference Lagos, 2009 and 2013.
Professional Courses and Trainings
Joyce is passionate about continuing professional education, manifested in her deep yearning for knowledge in diverse professional fields. This has informed her participation in several professional courses and trainings within and outside Nigeria. She took part in the Potomac Kaduna. Lecture on Drafting of International Lease Agreements, Joint Ventures Agreements, Licenses etc. in 1995; USAID National Centre for State Courts, Bar CLE Workshop on Fundamental Issues of Case flow Management Practitioners’ Perspective, 2002. She also took part in the Effective Report Writing for Fraud Examiners and Financial Statement Fraud Seminar by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) in Philadelphia, USA in 2013. She is an Associate Member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Also, she attended the Train the Trainers course on Human Right and Criminal Justice Responses against Terrorism from 2016 to 2017 and Assisting Nigeria to Strengthen Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism: Gender Dimensions of Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism in 2017 organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). In 2019, she participated in the Fellowship Programme by the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators. She is a member of the ICMC African Mediation Conference Planning Committee 2020. She is as well a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (FICMC)
OUTSIDE THE NBA
National and State Appointments
Joyce has had under her belt a number of National and State Appointments which include: Board Member, Gurara Water Management Authority 2009; Member, Law Reform and Administration of Justice Reform Committee, Akwa Ibom State 2007 – 2009; Member, Lagos State Blueprint Committee on the Administration of Justice 2017.
Service to Humanity
At the core of Joyce life is the desire to uplift the downtrodden in the society. She derives joy from catering to the needs of the poor and needy. She believes in putting a smile on the faces of the people around her. According to her, life is not only about living but letting others live. In this vein, she established Fountain of Life for the Needy Foundation which is a non-governmental, non-profit and charity organization aimed at providing for the needs of indigent women, children and youths in the society. She is the President of the foundation which celebrated its 10th Anniversary in 2018.
Service in Religious and Social Circles
Joyce posseses a burning desire to make an impact wherever she is, which has led her to and attracted in many cases various leadership and service positions in religious and social circles. She was Treasurer, Mothers Union, Festac Archdeaconry (Anglican Communion) 2001 – 2011; Treasurer, Mothers Union, All Saints Church (Anglican Communion), Festac Town, Lagos 2006 – 2013; Member, Board of Governors, Anglican Girls College, Lagos, 2012 – 2015; Sunday School Superintendent, All Saints Church, 41 Road, Festac Town, Lagos, 2011 – 2013; Treasurer, Parent Teacher’s Association (PTA) CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos 2013 – 2018; Member, Board of Governors, CMS Grammar School Lagos 2013 – 2017. She has been the Grand Patron, Boys Brigade of Nigeria, Ojo Battalion Council since 2013 and Legal Adviser, Boys Brigade Nigeria, Ojo Battalion Council and Amuwo-odofin Battalion Council since 2015. She began her service as a Lay Reader in All Saints Anglican Church, Festac Town, Lagos in 2016 after successfully completing her Bible School Program in Lagos Anglican Diocese Bible College (LABICO) in 2014. Prior to this time, she had completed programs in the Redeem Bible College in 2000, Redeem Deliverance College in 2002 and Patmos Bible College of Christ Chapel International Churches (CCIC) in 2010. Joyce is an Appointee on Political Matters to the Lord Bishop, Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion, Rt Revd. Dr. Olushola James Odedeji. This automatically makes her a Member of the Church Parish Council of her local parish, a Member of the Archdeaconry Board, a Member of the Diocese Board and a Member of the Synod. She was the Editor, Elim Magazine, a Publication of Christian Mothers’ Festac Archdeaconry, and she is presently the Editor, Wise Builder Magazine, a Publication of Christian Mothers’ All Saints Anglican Church, Festac, Lagos. She was the Chairperson Pastorate Anniversary, Festac Archdeaconry, Anglican Communion 2016. She was also Chairperson Festac Archdeaconry Harvest Committee 2017, 2018 and 2019. She is a member of Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion Internal Control Committee 2015 till date.
Religious/Humanitarian Awards and Recognition
She has received numerous awards for her commitment and dedication to the service of God and humanity. They include: Lagos West Diocesan Christian Mother’s Anglican Communion, Family of Honour Award, 2006; Patmos Bible School of Faith, Best Student’s Award, 2010; Diocese of Lagos West Anglican Communion, Holy Trinity, Special Award, 2011; Ogbaru Neighbourhood Community Development Association Special Award, 2012; Archbishop Abiodun Adetiloye schools, Appreciation Award, 2012; National Association of Students of English & Literary Studies (NASELS), Award of Recognition, 2014 & 2019; The Bible Society of Nigeria, Festac Town Auxilliary Lagos Area 1, Award of Honour, 2014; All Saints Church Anglican Communion, Award of Honour, 2015; CMS Grammar School (Board of Governors), Recognition Award, 2017; Patmos Bible School of Faith, Meritorious Alumni/Patrons Award, 2018; CMS Grammar School, Recognition Award, 2018.
Family Life
Since 1993 Joyce has been happily married to her heartthrob and Law School classmate, Mr Okechukwu Oduah. The marriage is blessed with four children, one of whom is a lawyer.
