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Summary
Legal trailblazer Kemi Bonuola shares her journey into law, her work and her mission to reform family law in Nigeria. She also shares insights into the upcoming 2025 Family and Law Conference by Wall & Ace.
A strategic thinker and trailblazing legal professional, Kemi Bonuola is the Managing Partner at Wall & Ace LP. She is an expert on family law and probate and is the head of the firm’s family and probate practice. She also has over 17 years of significant experience in corporate and commercial legal advisory to local and international clientele, including corporate reorganisation, regulatory and compliance, and public-private partnerships.
She is a member of the firm’s commercial dispute resolution group and has hands-on experience in litigation and alternative dispute resolution of commercial disputes, including employment law disputes, insurance claims, and oil and gas disputes.
In an interview with Naija Feminists Media, Kemi shares her inspiring journey into law, the impact of her work supporting survivors of domestic violence, and how she’s championing reform in Nigeria’s family law space.
Kemi Bonuola on Law and Advocating for Women
Please tell us a bit about your journey into law
My journey into law started in the year 2000 when my father advised me to choose law as my course of study when the need to write JAMB arose. I was reluctant, even though I was an art student, my eyes were set on being a journalist or a radio presenter. I found myself studying law at Obafemi Awolowo University and making it through successfully. Law school followed quickly, and before I knew it, I was a newly minted lawyer with absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with the degree that had taken over five years of my life to obtain. Today, I look back and can’t imagine doing anything with more impact than law, despite the many challenges of law practice.
With over 17 years of legal experience, what has been the most rewarding part of your career?
It would have to be the support that my firm gives to women who are survivors of domestic violence. The legal services women require could range from filing for a divorce to seeking child custody and maintenance/support.
The sheer relief that comes with getting justice, bringing an end to the anxiety, and addressing the concerns of such survivors is something that brings me a lot of peace. Yes, there are commercial briefs and there are transactions that close successfully, but joy comes from being able to extend help to someone who has gone through the trauma of domestic violence.
Wall & Ace LP is one of the leading law firms in Nigeria. How does your firm centre women and children in family law practice, and why is this important?
At the core of our family law practice is a deep desire to ensure that we continue to provide our services with the mindset that the family is important and must be protected. The majority of our clients are women. We find that they come to us wondering what legal mechanisms are in place to help them, especially when getting custody of their children.
We consider the child’s interest paramount. Still, we acknowledge our system’s shortcomings and advise accordingly. This is important so that there is no false expectation. Within the law’s ambit, we will deliver our services, but it is not a perfect system, and that is why more needs to be done.
Wall & Ace LP is organising a Family Law Conference centring on divorce, custody battles, and their impact on children. Can you share the inspiration for the initiative? What does it hope to achieve, and what can attendees hope to learn?
The Family Law Conference, which will be held on 15th July 2025, 10 am, at the Providence Hotel, 12A, Oba Akinjobi Way, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State, is a direct response to the challenges we have encountered in our bid to get justice for parties who have found themselves in a divorce situation or where a relationship ends and there are children involved.
We noticed that the laws available, such as the Matrimonial Causes Act, Child’s Right Act and the law, family court rules of Lagos State, etc., do not adequately protect a child caught in a custody battle. The Matrimonial Causes Act, for example, has remained the same since I started practice in 2008, and there is no swift advancement in family law nationwide. Lagos State is the most advanced of the states in practice. The conference aims to spotlight these issues, drive reform conversations, and foster collaboration between legal practitioners, government agencies, and the public. We want to reposition family law as a dynamic, responsive practice field.
How can the legal sector be more inclusive and supportive of female professionals?
In my experience, there are no limits to what a female lawyer can achieve in Nigeria, as long as she is determined and given room to thrive. The best support the sector can offer is to leave the door open and clear the path of unnecessary barriers. Representation matters, and women must be seen and heard at every level of the legal profession.
What advice would you give to young women or girls interested in law or social justice advocacy?
Stay focused. Follow your dream, even when it feels uncertain. The world needs your voice and your courage—now more than ever. Your passion can become your power.
