Long before I stepped into a courtroom, I was on a football pitch, whether it be on a proper pitch playing for my primary school or on a sand pitch playing “set”.
I played football from my pre-teens well into my forties when we played Sunday Sunday Football and I sometimes joined the All Stars football players at Campos Square and later at Eagle Club, Surulere, eventually trading my boots for boardroom seats at the highest levels of Nigerian football administration.
Most people know me as a lawyer. But beyond the bar, I am a football fan, an enthusiast and a leader shaped by the beautiful game.
What started as pure passion evolved into a lifelong mission. Leading at state, zonal and national levels and using the sport as an engine for philanthropy revealed a profound truth, football is not just a game, It is life (Apologies to HE Babatunde Raji Fashola).
Football taught me leadership, discipline, resilience, patience, strategy and the power of teamwork far better than any textbook ever could. The lessons learnt on the grass and in football administration directly influence how I practice law, lead teams, interact and navigate challenges today.
In this football chapter of Beyond the Bar, I will be unpacking that journey, the untold stories, the tough decisions, the people,the learnt strategy and garnered wisdom that stayed with me long after the final whistle.
Follow each week as I share the journey.