HERO

OF THE MONTH
JULY

AKOSA
TITILOPE G.
edited by NANA-OGBUTA MIRACLE

© 2020 LSWK WORLD. All Rights Reserved.


LSWK
COPUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Eduozor Henrie
COPUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Elizabeth Khara Gabriel, Esq.
LSWK HERO OF THE MONTH
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER
Eduozor Henrie
ARTS & DESIGN DIRECTOR
Eduozor Henrie
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Miracle Nana-Ogbuta
LEGAL
Stillwaters Chambers
DISCLAIMER
The photographs of Titilope Akosa used
in this publication were sourced online.
We do not claim ownership of them.
THE CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
NANA-OGBUTA MIRACLE
Miracle Nana-Ogbuta also known
as MNO, is a inal year student at the
Faculty of Law, Delta State
University, Oleh Campus. She is an
indigene of Delta State. She had her
primary school education at Stafford
High International School (then
known as Central Summit School)
and Seat of Wisdom Model
School(SOWMS), Ekpan. Her
Secondary school education was at
SOWMS and Edulyn College, Ekpan.
She gained admission into the Law
degree program in 2015.
Not being one who has interest in politics, she was appointed the
Chairman of LAWSAN Moot and Mock Committee in 2019.
She started writing for LSWK in 2018 as a Contributing Editor of its
monthly article called Hero of the Month. An article which she feels
every law student and lawyer should read as it portrays the lives of
those in the legal profession who have stood for and are still standing
for what is right, who have upheld the tenets of the legal profession
and have dedicated their lives to the service of humanity. According to
her, she enjoys writing for LSWK as it has tremendously helped her
improve on her writing skills. She is someone who feels she does not
live for herself alone but also for others as such, whenever she writes
for LSWK, the stories inspires her to be responsible for her actions as
others will be affected by it. She is also inspired not to give up
whenever she stands for something that she knows is right. No matter
the obstacles, just like the heros she writes about, justice will surely
prevail.
Her role models are women who, despite all odds, are at the top of
their game. She has great respect for Christiane Amanpour, a British-
Iranian journalist and television host.
Her goal in life is to inspire others and enjoy the simple things of life
while doing so.
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 HERO
OF THE MONTH
NANA-OGBUTA MIRACLE

AKOSA TITILOPE
and Masters in Law (LL.M) from the
University of Lagos in 1996.

After being called to the Nigerian Bar, Titi

Akosa opened the law irm of Titi Akosa & Co.
where she serves as the head and a legal
consultant trainer on human and women's
rights, gender and climate change. In order to
tackle dimestic violence and climate change,
she founded the Centre for 21st Century
Issues. C21st as an organization works to
build capacity for sustainable development
and poverty reduction by engaging with youth
groups, promoting environmental, social and
economic justice and peace building, and
deepening democratic culture and good
governance, including women's human rights,
equity and social justice.

Titilope Gbemisola Akosa, popularly known Domestic violence against women and
as Titi Akosa, is a legal practitioner and human children is a serious issue that is prevalent in
rights activists with extensive experience in our society.
civil and criminal litigation. She is a consultant
trainer on human and women's rights, gender
and climate change. She is the Executive
Director of Centre for 21st Century Issues
(C21st), Nigeria, a Vital Voices Lead Fellow
and heads the law irm of Titi Akosa & Co. She
is also a women's climate justice advocate and
Environmental Leader of the Bearhs
Environmental Leadership Progamm at the
University of California at Berkeley, United
States. Additionally, she is an alumna of the
prestigious International Visitor Leadership
program of the United States on Volunteerism
and Community Development.

She was born and brought up in Lagos State,

Nigeria, had her primary and secondary
school in Lagos State and later obtained her
Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL.B) from Lagos
State University, Nigeria, Barrister at Law
(B.L) from the Nigerian Law School in 1992

3 | LSWK JULY 2020

 HERO
OF THE MONTH
NANA-OGBUTA MIRACLE

AKOSA TITILOPE
It often causes psychological problems to both women journalists and media practitioners on gender and
and children, who are the usual victims, negatively climate change under the African Adaptation Program;
affecting their con idence and their general life and trainings for con lict and climate change for small
performance. Thus as the Executive Director of C21st, holder farmers.
Titi through her organization, formed partnerships
with governments, civil society organisations, care From 2006-2008, she participated in the Indigenous
givers and private sector players to address gender- Network for Change Project (IPNC); a project
based violence. As a result, a directory with information implemented by the International Alliance of
about all the organizations providing support services Indigenous Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests with
to victims of domestic violence was produced and inancial support from the GEF. This saw her
distributed in Lagos State. Another success they had monitoring and observing the GEF processes and how
was setting up the Domestic Violence and Sexual they relate to indigenous people, earning her an
Assault Response Team in Lagos with the of ice of the enlistment in the rooster of expert on indigenous issues
Attorney General of Lagos State. They have also in West Africa.
organized various awareness campaign such as the
"Week of Action Against Domestic Violence" in Lagos. Currently in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, a
platform of non-governmental organizations was
Also, as a resident of Lagos State, the impacts of rising created to tackle public health concerns and
climate change evident on the state; irregular rainfall governance issues relating to the virus. This platform is
patterns, loods, and how they destroy lives and known as "The Lagos State Civil Society Coalition
livelihoods, rendering people homeless, displacing Against COVID-19" with C21st as convener of the
millions and exacerbating poverty made her to engage Coalition. Monitoring and reporting on the responses
in climate justice work in Nigeria and overseas. These being deployed toward containing the spread of the
impacts deepen social inequality and women and virus is one of the basic aims of this Coalition, and in all
children are affected greatly because, for instance, these, Titi Akosa has been on the forefront.
when families are displaced as a result of loods or
other disaster, gender-based violence and sexual The earth as we know it, is our home and we should
violence are rampant in refugee camps. Hence in always take care of it. Unfortunately, we have always
ighting for climate justice, she has worked with WEDO, neglected its care until the effect of this neglect begins
other gender advocacy organisations, and gender to show face in the form of climate change which has
activists in order to incorporate gender language into not only affected the earth but also the general public.
the negotiating texts. On December 8, 2015 while Notwithstanding, it is never too late to try and ix what
representing the Women and Gender Constituency could have been avoided. It is our hope that all the
(WGC) at the United Nations Climate Talks at the Le enlightenment campaigns carried out by Titi, and
Bourget Conference Center, Paris, France, she stated others like her, would begin to yield expected results;
that the agreement to be reached:: "must ensure all results being a majority of the populace aware of the
climate actions, both adaptation and mitigation, activities that causes climate change and avoiding them.
respect, promote, protect and ful il human rights, Thank you Titi Akosa for all your efforts.
gender equality, the rights of indigenous people,
intergenerational equity, a just transition and decent
work, food security and ecosystem integrity and
resilience." She has also facilitated a number of
trainings on gender and climate change for local HERO
OF THE MONTH
communities in Nigerian and Ghana; trainings for
women on gender and energy ef iciency; trainings for

4 | LSWK JULY 2020

 HERO
OF THE MONTH
NANA-OGBUTA MIRACLE

AKOSA TITILOPE
children are affected greatly because, for instance,
when families are displaced as a result of loods or
other disaster, gender-based violence and sexual
violence are rampant in refugee camps. Hence in
ighting for climate justice, she has worked with WEDO,
other gender advocacy organisations, and gender
activists in order to incorporate gender language into
the negotiating texts. On December 8, 2015 while
representing the Women and Gender Constituency
(WGC) at the United Nations Climate Talks at the Le
Bourget Conference Center, Paris, France, she stated
that the agreement to be reached:

It often causes psychological problems to both women

and children, who are the usual victims, negatively
affecting their con idence and their general life
performance. Thus as the Executive Director of C21st,
Titi through her organization, formed partnerships
with governments, civil society organisations, care
givers and private sector players to address gender-
based violence. As a result, a directory with information
about all the organizations providing support services
to victims of domestic violence was produced and
distributed in Lagos State. Another success they had
was setting up the Domestic Violence and Sexual
Assault Response Team in Lagos with the of ice of the
Attorney General of Lagos State. They have also
organized various awareness campaign such as the
"Week of Action Against Domestic Violence" in Lagos.

Also, as a resident of Lagos State, the impacts of rising

climate change evident on the state; irregular rainfall
patterns, loods, and how they destroy lives and
HERO
OF THE MONTH
livelihoods, rendering people homeless, displacing
millions and exacerbating poverty made her to engage
in climate justice work in Nigeria and overseas. These
impacts deepen social inequality and women and

4 | LSWK JULY 2020

 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
NANA-OGBUTA M.

© 2020 LSWK WORLD. All Rights Reserved.