By Olumide Babalola
On the evening of Tuesday, 6 January 2026, my septuagenarian father forwarded a Facebook link to me with the caption: “Congratulations to one of your former lecturers at the Lagos Law School.” My father was indeed one of my most ardent cheerleaders during my time at the Lagos campus and remains keenly interested in my professional journey as he religiously follows some of our “doings” at the Bar.
I opened the link and Alas!, Dr Gbemi’ Odusote (who taught me property law at the law school) has been elevated to the office of the Director General of the Nigerian Law School.
The excitement was palpable. Dr Odusote fits the bill by every reasonable metric: a humble, dutiful, diligent, and thorough academic who rose steadily through the ranks to the pinnacle of her career. Her appointment as the first female Director-General is both historic and well deserved.
Regrettably, however, while we were celebrating this remarkable achievement, the State House press release unnecessarily and painfully diverted public attention from her enviable accomplishments to questions surrounding her age. The initial release stated her age as 54, which was later corrected to 57 (or conversely). This inconsistency, despite the fact that her age was never concealed (to my knowledge) has since generated avoidable speculation and debate across legal circles.
This preventable lapse by the State House is yet another “presidential’ illustration of how a breach of the data protection principle of accuracy can adversely affect an individual’s public and private life. Ironically, the Nigeria Data Protection Act, signed into law by this same administration in 2023, expressly mandates that any person or authority processing personal data must ensure that such data is accurate and not misleading. The press release concerning the amiable Dr Odusote was not only inaccurate; it has actively misled many into drawing uncomfortable and unnecessary conclusions.
Generally, the principle of data accuracy holds that information must be correct, complete, and reliably representative of the real-world conditions it is intended to describe. Accurate data is essential because it underpins sound decision-making, regulatory compliance, and organizational credibility. Within many contexts, small errors can lead to unsavoury conclusions or reputational injuries.
Left unaddressed, this inaccurate information may produce ripple effects that extend beyond the individual to the integrity of the office of the Director-General and the institutional image of the Nigerian Law School itself. For the sake of Dr Odusote, the office she now occupies, and the Nigerian Law School as a whole, this issue ought to be promptly and properly nipped in the bud.
By Olumide Babalola