Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of the Court of Appeal is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at PrivCon 2026, which will take place on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The address, titled “From Unfamiliarity to Competence: The Role of the Judiciary in Advancing Privacy and Data Protection Rights in Nigeria”, will examine the evolution of the Nigerian judiciary’s engagement with privacy-related disputes and data protection law.
Justice Akinyemi is expected to consider how the courts have moved from limited exposure to privacy cases towards a more developed understanding of data protection principles, as well as the implications of that development for the enforcement of privacy rights in Nigeria.
The keynote comes against the backdrop of the country’s evolving data protection framework, anchored by the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023. The regime continues to develop through regulatory guidance and an emerging body of case law.
Legal observers say the interpretation and application of the Act by the courts will be crucial to determining how effectively individuals can enforce their privacy rights and how organisations are held accountable for their data-handling practices.
This year’s PrivCon is themed “Privacy Architecture #EveryBrickCounts#”, which organisers say reflects the incremental and collective effort required to build a functional privacy ecosystem involving regulators, businesses, technology professionals, legal practitioners and the judiciary.
Justice Akinyemi’s participation brings a judicial perspective to the conference, which typically attracts regulators, lawyers, compliance professionals and other industry stakeholders. His involvement also highlights growing interest by the judiciary in engaging with practical challenges surrounding privacy and data protection enforcement.
PrivCon 2026 is expected to feature a wider programme of speakers and sessions, with additional details to be announced by the organisers ahead of the event.
Akinyemi’s legal career
Justice Akinyemi, born on 6 June 1960, served as a judge of the Ogun State High Court for 20 years, from June 2004 to July 2024, before his elevation to the Court of Appeal.
He received his early education at United Christian Secondary School, Apapa, Lagos, between 1973 and 1977, before attending St Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos, where he obtained his Higher School Certificate between 1977 and 1979.
He studied law at the University of Lagos, graduating with an LLB in 1982 with Second Class Upper Division. He subsequently attended the Nigerian Law School from 1982 to 1983, again graduating with Second Class Upper Division. He obtained an LLM from the University of Lagos in 1985.
While at the University of Lagos, he won the National Merit Award of the Faculty of Law from 1980 to 1982, as well as the Serkin Jaja Amachree Prize and the Teslim Olawale Elias Prize in 1982.
After completing his National Youth Service at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice between 1983 and 1984, Justice Akinyemi joined Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, where he worked from 1984 to 1987 and rose to deputy head of chambers.
He subsequently became a partner at Abudu, Akinyemi & Ogunde Solicitors & Advocates from 1987 to 1999, before becoming principal partner of Abiodun Akinyemi & Co in 1999. He held the position until his appointment to the Ogun State High Court in 2004.
Justice Akinyemi has also been involved in legal publishing and scholarship. He served as assistant editor of Digest of Supreme Court Cases 1956–1984 and deputy editor of the Nigerian Weekly Law Report from 1984 to 1990.
He is the author of Land Litigation in Nigeria: Practice & Procedure and a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators.
He has delivered papers at several conferences and published articles on various areas of law.
