Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former NBA Vice President, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN, has been formally awarded a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Law by Babcock University, marking the fulfilment of a lifelong academic dream shaped by determination, sacrifice, resilience and faith.
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The award, conferred on July 21, 2026, represents another major milestone in the life of the renowned legal practitioner, public affairs commentator and constitutional lawyer, whose journey from a village primary school in Abia State to the pinnacle of legal scholarship has been described as extraordinary.
For many, the event may appear to be another academic ceremony, but for Ubani, it is the completion of a dream that began decades ago, survived family obligations, personal loss, professional demands and several setbacks.
Ubani’s academic story began in the late 1970s at Awomukwu Primary School in present-day Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, where he distinguished himself as a brilliant pupil. At the end of his primary education, he and another pupil, Moses Ndulewe from Amapu in Awomukwu, were said to be the only two pupils who obtained credit passes in the First School Leaving Certificate Examination conducted by the then Imo State Government.
His performance caught the attention of his Headmaster, Mr. Ahia from Oboro, Ikwuano, who reportedly advised that the young Ubani must never be denied education because of his rare intellectual promise.
That advice later became decisive when Ubani’s father planned for him to become a company-trained mechanic under Dunlop Nigeria Limited in Lagos, a path considered respectable and stable at the time.
However, the person assigned to bring his First School Leaving Certificate from the village to Lagos, a key requirement for his resumption as a trainee mechanic at Dunlop Nigeria Limited, Oba Akran, Ikeja, was delayed when his bus broke down at Ore in Ondo State.
As a result, the young Ubani could not present the certificate on the required Monday and lost the opportunity.
What appeared to be a setback later became a turning point. His uncle, Mr. Reuben Agwu, reminded his father of Headmaster Ahia’s warning that the boy should not be denied formal education. That intervention preserved Ubani’s academic path and changed the course of his life.
After completing secondary school and obtaining his GCE, Ubani gained admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1983 to study Political Science. He completed two years in the department before making a major decision that would shape his future.
Inspired by the late human rights lawyer and legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, Ubani abandoned Political Science and crossed over to Law in 1985, forfeiting two years of academic work in the process.
The decision was costly, but it proved defining.
He graduated from the University of Nigeria in 1989 with a Second Class Upper Division in Law and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, where he again distinguished himself. In 1990, he graduated with a Second Class Upper Division, becoming the only graduate from the University of Nigeria’s 1989 Law Class to attain that distinction in the 1990 Nigerian Law School set.
After completing his National Youth Service Corps programme in Kano State, Ubani proceeded to the University of Lagos, where he obtained a Master’s Degree in Comparative Constitutional Law.
Although he had hoped to immediately pursue a doctorate, life intervened. Marriage, children, family responsibilities and the demands of building a legal career delayed the dream for many years.
Over time, his legal practice flourished, his public profile grew, and he became a respected voice on constitutional, legal and public affairs. He later attained the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, one of the highest honours in the legal profession.
Even before becoming a SAN, two institutions had honoured him with honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of his contributions to society. Yet, the desire to earn a research-based doctorate through rigorous academic work remained with him.
In December 2021, determined to complete the dream, Ubani enrolled for a PhD in Law at Babcock University.
Barely a month later, tragedy struck when his father died in January 2022 at the age of 101. As the only surviving son and child, Ubani had to take responsibility for the burial arrangements, forcing him to temporarily withdraw from the doctoral programme.
After the burial in April 2022, returning to academic work became difficult due to grief, professional obligations and family demands.
At that stage, he received encouragement from academics including Professor Mrs. Titilayo Owolabi, Professor Dorcas Odunaike, and Dr. Ibe Moses, who urged him not to abandon the programme.
Their support helped him return to Babcock University to continue the final phase of the journey.
Balancing legal practice, public service, church responsibilities, family life and doctoral research was demanding, but Ubani pressed on.
In 2025, another painful loss came when his mother died at the age of 90, just as he was preparing to focus fully on completing his thesis.
Following her burial in December 2025, Ubani returned to the work with renewed strength and determination.
His successful completion of the PhD programme now stands as the climax of a dream delayed but never abandoned.
For his wife, children, relatives, friends, mentors, colleagues and associates, the convocation represents more than an academic award. It is a celebration of courage, sacrifice, discipline, resilience, faith and commitment to excellence.
From Awomukwu Primary School to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and now Doctor of Philosophy in Law, Ubani’s story reflects a life shaped by purpose and sustained by divine grace.
As he receives the PhD, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN, PhD, completes a journey that began many decades ago in a small village classroom and has now been crowned with one of the highest academic qualifications in law.
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