Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, has emerged as the best graduating Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student in Law at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.
Ubani was formally awarded his doctorate during the university’s convocation ceremony on Tuesday, marking a remarkable milestone in a decades-long academic journey shaped by professional responsibilities, family commitments and personal tragedies.
Speaking after the ceremony, the senior lawyer described the achievement as the fulfilment of a long-held ambition that began shortly after he obtained his master’s degree. He explained that although he had initially intended to commence his PhD programme immediately, advice to consider studying abroad, followed by marriage and the responsibility of raising his children, led to a prolonged postponement of his academic dream.
“I wanted to start my PhD immediately after my master’s degree, but I was advised to wait and study abroad. Before long, family responsibilities took over. I decided to ensure my children completed their education first before pursuing my own academic ambition,” he said.
Ubani eventually returned to the classroom after his children had completed their postgraduate studies. However, combining legal practice, family responsibilities, religious engagements and academic work presented fresh challenges. He particularly identified statistics and research methodology as some of the most demanding aspects of the programme.
His academic journey was also interrupted by personal tragedies, including the deaths of both his father and mother at different stages of his studies. He temporarily withdrew from the programme following the death of his father, while the loss of his mother occurred as he was preparing to begin work on his thesis.
“As the only son, those were difficult moments. They could easily have derailed my academic pursuit, but I remained determined to complete the programme,” he said.
He credited Professor Owolabi for providing the encouragement and motivation that helped him remain focused whenever the demands of the programme became overwhelming.
Despite the challenges, Ubani successfully completed his doctoral programme and emerged as the best graduating PhD student in Law—a feat he attributed to perseverance, resilience and divine grace.
Looking ahead, the distinguished lawyer disclosed plans to venture into university teaching and pursue a professorial career. He revealed that he has already published seven scholarly articles in reputable journals and intends to deepen his contribution to legal scholarship through further research and academic publications.
Ubani also emphasised the importance of doctoral education, describing a PhD as more than an academic qualification. According to him, doctoral training develops critical thinking, challenges conventional assumptions and equips scholars to generate knowledge capable of addressing societal problems.
“Knowledge is more valuable than wealth because it enables you to make meaningful contributions to humanity. A PhD teaches you to think critically and develop solutions to societal challenges,” he said.
For Ubani, the award is not the end of his academic journey but the beginning of a new chapter. Having successfully combined an illustrious legal career with the pursuit of advanced scholarship, the new PhD graduate says he remains committed to lifelong learning, research and contributing to the development of legal knowledge.