By Jude Opara
The story of Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa is one that should interest everyone, especially the young ones who may be struggling to achieve their desired goals.
On July 7, 2026, Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa achieved that lifelong dream which he had cherished since childhood as he was formally called to the Nigerian Bar.
For many, it may be another Call to Bar ceremony, but for those who knew his story, it marked the triumphant actualization of a dream that survived more than four decades of setbacks and disappointments.
Sir Ohuabunwa was the youngest of 12 children—10 boys and two girls—who as a child made a bold declaration: he would become the lawyer in the family. Probably, because of that conviction, his older brothers pursued other professions.
The Ohuabunwa family produced doctors, pharmacists, engineers, architects, builders, accountants and businessmen, leaving the legal profession for the youngest son who believed it was his destiny.
After secondary school in the mid-1980s, the young Godfrey sat for JAMB with one goal—to study Law, but instead he was repeatedly offered English Language.
Most people would have accepted the alternative.
Sir Godfrey refused and for four consecutive years, he pursued his dream. He enrolled in IJMB, attended remedial programmes in Yola and eventually gained admission into the University of Maiduguri.
But unfortunately, due to the catchment system, Law was denied and he was admitted to study English Language and Literature. This is not deter him.
Ohuabunwa took virtually every available Law course alongside his English programme, hoping his outstanding academic performance would persuade the university to transfer him into the Faculty of Law.
He excelled academically, recording impressive grades, but the answer remained the same. No!
Finally, after exhausting every legitimate avenue, he accepted reality and graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Maiduguri.
But because his lifelong dream was to study Law, he refused to allow disappointment to define his future. Instead, he pursued excellence while keeping alive the vision that one day he would still become a lawyer.
During the COVID-19 period, Sir Godfrey enrolled once again to study Law. This time, after decades of waiting, disappointment and persistence, he excelled academically and graduated with outstanding results.
However, business responsibilities delayed his attendance at the Nigerian Law School, but he refused to abandon the journey. He reorganised his schedule, returned to complete his professional training and successfully graduated from the Nigerian Law School.
Today, decades after first dreaming of becoming a lawyer, that childhood vision has become reality.
Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa now proudly wears the wig and gown of a legal practitioner, proving that dreams delayed are never denied for a determined mind.
Beyond academic achievement and business success lies another defining chapter of his life.
In 1995, he surrendered his life to Christ. That decision transformed his character, strengthened his discipline, deepened his faith and became the foundation upon which he built every subsequent success.
He believes that while determination opened doors, God’s grace made the impossible possible.
His life teaches profound lessons: dreams may be delayed, but they are not denied. Failure is not final and age is never a limitation.
Today, Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa stands as a successful businessman, entrepreneur, Harvard alumnus and legal practitioner. But above every title is the testimony of a man who simply refused to quit.
