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You Are Not Educated until You can Create Ideas By Henry Ukazu

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Hearty Greetings my dear friends!

Communicating and relating with you on a regular basis gives me not only joy and satisfaction but also fulfillment. As one of my positive mentors, Chief Dele Momodu, will say, ‘in order to remain relevant on social media, you must continually endeavor to feed your followers with information and updates to keep them engaged, otherwise they might lose interest in your work’. It is on this note, I try to update my tribe every week on resourceful topics that will not only inspire them, but also assist them in attaining success. This is my own little way of giving back to the society.  By so doing, I’m educating progressive minds with resourceful information that has empowered me.

Today, we shall be discussing education and how it can serve as a pathway to success. We shall also be looking at various ways education can serve as a pathway to success and other component parts. Not only that, we will be discussing the contemporary and smart ways of educating oneself as opposed to the traditional style of education.

I was inspired to write about education being a pathway to success after listening to two terms former Governor of Anambra State and Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi’s speech at an event which was organized by the Christian Covenant Centre under the auspices of Platform. Honestly, it is always good to listen to intelligent people when they speak or write because one has a great opportunity to learn from their secret of success.

Please permit me to share a word or two about the background of Mr. Peter Obi.
Mr. Obi is a trained and experienced Economist, Administrator and Politician. He sees himself privileged to have attended some of the best schools in the world such as Harvard Business School, Boston, USA; London School of Economics UK; Columbia Business School, New York and Lagos Business School in Nigeria. Mr. Obi is also the Vice Presidential Candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2019 Nigerian presidential election; He was a Governor of Anambra State, one of the most resourceful and viable states in Nigeria.

In his speech, Mr. Peter Obi mentioned education as one of the most resourceful and viable tools to stimulate the economy. That speech really resonated in me, and I thought it nice to write about education but on a different note.

The focus of this article is how resourceful minds can tap into the indirect form of education to achieve their dreams. In this twenty-first century, you cannot underestimate the power and role of education for an emerging economy, and countries that have truly distinguished themselves in the comity of Nations. Education plays a great role in shaping the life of a progressive mind.  This is because all civilized countries know that the only way to stamp their feet in the global world is by planning for tomorrow, and how does one plan for tomorrow? You plan for tomorrow by investing for the future through education.

Investment in education is synonymous to your future. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”. In civilized climes, they have taken education to the next level by investing in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). They didn’t stop at that; they try to empower their citizens through Research and Development to solve some of the challenges facing them.

I strongly believe that one of the greatest investment you can have in life is education. Education secures the future because it’s a form of security.  Even the book of life states in Proverbs 4:13 “Your education is your life, guard it very well” and Hosea 4:6 “My people perish for lack of knowledge”.

That being said, we shall be looking at the component and the relative part of education as a way of leveraging oneself. There’s nothing good in life that comes easy. Every good product or success comes with a price tag. The same theory goes for education. The price of education is very expensive. I remember when I was seeking admission into one of Nigerian state universities to study Law. I met one of the admission officers who promised to assist me secure admission. I was excited about this opportunity until he told me the amount I have to pay as a kickback. The price sounded outrageous to me. When I asked him why I have to pay such amount of money as a kickback, he said: “young man if you think education is expensive, try ignorance”. That statement has always remained in my heart till date. I definitely agreed with him because if you compare and contrast the value of education and the price of ignorance, you will realize that education will definitely pay in the long run. Moral: If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.

What do we therefore mean by traditional form and style of education? It simply involves attending classes and preparing for exams. However, it should be noted that education is not only limited to getting degrees and certificates. Education also entails thinking out of the box, reading books outside your discipline, researching, learning from resourceful minds and developing oneself and also acquiring soft and hard skills.

During one of my classes as graduate student studying Taxation at the New York Law School, a particular professor had told the students; ‘it is good to get good grades like As; but networking and developing oneself and following your passion are some of the things that will give you the desired opportunity you want in addition to defining you. What I literally got from that advice is, yes, it’s good to get good grades, but there’s more to success than getting the grades. He ended the class by telling us ‘you’ll understand what I’m saying when you graduate and start exploring job opportunities’.

No doubt, education is good, and the advantages numerous. A very big advantage of education is that it is the greatest leveler known to mankind just like money. Let me explain a bit. You can study in the same classroom with the son or daughter of any great man or woman and can even fall in love with the said being, especially when you know or understand the love language of the person in addition to being compatible to the being. This opportunity can even lead to marriage if properly nurtured. What I’m trying to say is that the son of a certified pauper can be a man of means tomorrow if properly nurtured.

Let me share a practical experience with you, I was privileged to attend one of the most expensive private universities in Nigeria, and I had the opportunity of meeting the children of top government officials, politicians, businessmen, ambassadors, and technocrats. Ordinarily, I felt a little bit uneasy relating with them because of the class status, but it didn’t take me long to adjust to the system when I saw the value I was bringing to the table and knowing full well we are the same. The secret to this feat was because of the exposure I got from education. Furthermore, I have been privileged to meet high profile people in the world in the USA because of the value I bring to the table, but more especially, because I have been properly educated to speak and communicate in the language they understand.

Be informed however, that education does not guarantee success; stories abound of so many great people who have been able to succeed in life without getting the traditional style of education. For example, the wealthiest Black woman in the world, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija; Henry Ford, Shawn Corey Carter popularly know as Jay -Z, Richard Branson and many more are accomplished individuals who believed in themselves, explored their talents and worked hard to develop themselves by learning from their failures.

Again, education creates opportunities. According to Steve Jobs, innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower. When you create a product that solves a problem, there’s a high tendency you will find people who will need your products. According to Albert Einstein, “try not to be a man of success, try to be a man of value. A good education makes you to think out of the box. It makes you creative. It broadens your mind in addition to exposing you to resourceful information. A good education is like traveling because it gets you exposed to world affairs. It’s quite unfortunate that sometimes we complain of not having time, money, or opportunities. We forget that time is like money. Whenever you say you don’t have money, it invariably means you don’t have time to read and research. It’s important to note that ideas are what creates money. Education will not literally give you money, it will open doors of opportunity for you to explore. For example, instead of waiting to get funds for a formal education, how about visiting websites, researching for online and offline companies that offer free courses and equip yourself with knowledge. Moral: Never allow an opportunity to meet you unprepared.

You might have the best of education, but you might not be as successful as someone who has empowered his/her mind. Having faith and belief in oneself is very critical to success.
According to Muhammed Ali “The man who has no imagination has no wings”. This is the reason some entrepreneurs who never had the opportunity of going to a school were able to succeed more than those who attended universities.

According to Robert Collier “Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself”.  One story of interest that comes to mind is that of John Sculley, the former CEO of Pepsi who left Pepsi to join Steve jobs in his company. Steve Jobs told John Sculley “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life? Or do you want to come with me and change the world?” The rest they say is history. The interesting part of this analysis is that Steve Jobs trusted his innate ability to achieve success and the knowledge he had can’t be acquired within the four walls of a classroom. It was this same innate ability that made the bank to give him and Bill Gate two million dollars when they presented their ideas to them. The question now is did they go to school to acquire this knowledge? The answer is no. They developed their minds, believed in themselves and above all, educated themselves by learning from their failures.

Finally, a major form of indirect knowledge and education in our contemporary society is social media. Testimonies abound of people who have gained a lot by mere listening to a podcast, videos, and reading online messages on Twitters, Facebooks, LinkedIn, Instagram and relevant articles from resourceful minds. Education has truly gone global. Social media has made the world much closer and easier to learn. What literally took Mr. A five to ten years to acquire in the classroom can simply be gotten via researching and listening to people with authoritative form of knowledge who have expertise in the subject matter in question. But it’s quite unfortunate a lot of people spend valuable time and resources listening and watching online information that won’t add value to their lives

In conclusion, I’m not insinuating that formal education is not important, please it is very important. If you have the opportunity to get one, please do, because that alone is education itself. However, as mentioned earlier, it is not the yardstick for success.

Have a great weekend!

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com

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Who Will Rescue Nigeria from Political Bandits?

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By Eric Elezuo

The Oxford Dictionary defines a bandit as a robber or outlaw belonging to a gang and typically operating in an isolated or lawless area. In a layman’s language, a bandit is a basically a robber, most of the times, heavily.
In many professional sectors, bandits have arisen in form of leaders, as a result of their high handedness, disrespect for constituted authorities, greed for power and disregards for humanity. Among the bandits of the Nigerian society are the political bandits. They are members of diverse political parties spread across the judiciary, legislature, executive, business environment and more. The banditry has created dissension across boards, affecting the main and opposition political parties, the Nigerian economy, the judiciary with the infamous conflicting judicial pronouncements and judgments, creating a typical musical staccato.
As a result, while the country battles the known bandits of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger among others, the people are unfortunately putting up with the rascality of the new kind of banditry, which shares public space with the populace, albeit politicians and public office holders. But while the shenanigans persist, the government and people keep a blind eye, pretending that all is well.
“It’s no longer news that the issues prevailing in the country today vis a vis political crisis, judicial rascality and the total economic downturn ravaging the nation, unleashing hunger among the populace is a direct invention of the government of the day.
“Firstly, to decimate the opposition parties so as to create a leeway for a smooth return to power in 2027 as well as impoverish the people, make them hopeless so as to feed them crumbs without questions. Of course, the constant phoney distribution of palliatives is a consequence of the self-made affliction,” an analyst told The Boss.
It would be recalled that the nation has experienced more than a far share of democratic brigandry and political banditry since the May 29, 2023 inauguration day pronouncement of ‘subsidy is gone’ by President Bola Tinubu. Apart from the economy hitting the rocks since then, the opposition parties have continually remained on each other’s neck in what political analysts have described as a deliberate ploy of the government in power to instigated crises across board, and propel the country towards a one party state under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), leadership tussle has remained endemic, creating factions between those loyal to the Acting Chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum and the the rest of the members, with an allegation that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr Nyesom Wike, has a superlative control of the leadership; a situation that has made it absolutely difficult for the opposition party to successfully play its opposition role.
“No matter what anybody says, it’s obvious that Wike is working for the APC, and at the same time maintains a strangle hold on the PDP for the very wrong reasons. It’s completely difficult for the PDP leadership as presently constituted to speak against the APC or even Wike himself. It is not by accident that Senator Dino Melaye, a vocal chieftain of the party, described it as a ‘dead party’. You know that New Nigeria’s People’s Party’s Rabiu Kwankwaso has echoed that line of thought,” a PDP stakeholder, who prefers anonymity said.
The crisis of leadership has also divided the Governors Forum under Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, causing the party to abandon Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, in his battles for the state structure against Wike.

While Bala Mohammed had earlier indicated that the forum was considering the return of the national chairmanship to the North-Central, describing the current leadership arrangement in the North-East as unconstitutional, a decision that was supported by Osun state governor, Ademola Adeleke.

“My brother from the North-East is currently acting as the national chairman, which is a constitutional anomaly. According to our Constitution, any vacancy in a leadership position should be filled by the region from which it was originally created,” Bala said on Tuesday.

The Bauchi State governor explained that the North-Central region had been expecting the position and hinted that the forum was working with the chairman, the National Working Committee (NWC), and the broader party structure to return the chairmanship to the North-Central.

“We have discussed the issue and will work to ensure that the North-Central is given the opportunity to assume this responsibility,” he stated.

However, Governor Fintiri of Adamawa, in a sharp contrast to Bala’s stance, declared his strong support for Damagum’s leadership.

Fintiri noted that the North-East zone, which includes Bauchi, supports Damagum remaining as acting national chairman.

He referenced a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja that restrains the NWC, Board of Trustees (BoT), National Executive Committee (NEC), PDP, INEC, and any affiliated bodies from removing, replacing, or nominating a new chairman outside of Damagum.

“The court’s ruling is clear, and we must respect it for the sake of our party and democracy,” Fintiri stated in a statement earlier issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou.

The Adamawa governor further praised Damagum’s leadership for rebuilding public confidence in the PDP following the party’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election, and he endorsed him to complete the tenure of the former chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, a situation many members of the party disagree with.

Fintiri also emphasised that the North-East, having delivered strong results for the PDP in the 2023 elections, deserves the national chairmanship more than other regions. The zone includes Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno, and Yobe states, and Fintiri argued that their performance in the polls strengthens their claim to the chairmanship.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, also declared his full support for the NWC under Damagum’s leadership, underscoring the growing division within the PDP Governors’ Forum over the party’s leadership crisis.

Makinde noted that, while internal disagreements are inevitable in any political party, the focus should remain on unity as the party prepares for critical elections.

The party also agreed to support Fubara in Rivers, resolving to hand over party structure to him against Wike’s quest to hold to the structure. But in response, Wike threatened to step fire in the states of the PDP Governors, who took the decision. But while Mohammed called his bluff, Makinde pleaded to be exempted, acknowledging alleged Wike’s superiority.

The dissension that has continued led to the party’s loss of the Edo State governorship election. They claimed it was rigged by the APC.

Demagum continues to argue that the party’s rules allow for some flexibility in leadership positions and pointed out that the deputy chairman from the North could naturally assume the chairmanship if it were vacated.

The political rascality has further transcended to the judiciary, where what appears to be judgment for the highest bidder, is in vogue.
This situation has been witnessed in Rivers State, where the several court judgments continue to flow from several courts in favour of anyone, who applies for it.
On September 30, the court barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the elections.

The judge, Peter Lifu, cited RSIEC’s non-compliance with its 2018 law concerning the voter register as a reason for the court’s decision to halt the elections

Many lawyers and judicial stakeholders have expressed their disagreement with the court order and stressed the importance of judicial independence.

They argued that the case underscored the unconstitutionality and undemocratic nature of caretaker committees managing local governments.

A lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, noted as follows:

“Section 1 of the 1999 Constitution makes the constitution supreme and binding on all persons and authorities, including Nigerian courts.

“Section 287(1) further stipulates that decisions of the Supreme Court must be enforced across Nigeria by all persons and courts with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme Court.

“Judgments of the Supreme Court, whether rightly or wrongly decided, cannot be questioned or ignored by any courts or individuals in Nigeria; they can only be criticised.”

Also toeing the line of political banditry in the nation is the recklessness that has been exhibited by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The body has been accused of also giving electoral victory to whomever expresses monetary and influential concern, especially the government of the day. The situation was further brought to light with the handling of the Edo State governorship election.

The situation of almost complete lawlessness that has pervaded the length and breadth of the nation’s political and economic sectors, have reduced the society to enclave enslaved by a group of individuals, who do not wish corporate existence, but selfish fulfillment of individual agenda.

In Rivers State, Governor Fubara appears to have called the bluff of the Bola Tinubu-led APC, the camp of Wike and all, who were bent on undermining his administration, but the question still stand, who will rescue Nigeria from political bandits as the situation is far from over.

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Glo Splashes Millions of Naira on Partners at Luxurious Event in Lagos

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Globacom, Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital solutions services provider, on Thursday treated its business partners across the country to a luxurious ceremony in Lagos. The event was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.

At the event, Globacom honoured its top-performing partners that fulfilled all regional and national deliverable requirements with millions of naira in recognition of their outstanding work.

A total number of 71 partners were rewarded in two broad categories, with the winners receiving millions of naira in cash prizes. Category 1 comprised 22 Activation Award winners and 33 Divisional Recharge winners.

In Category 2, 16 partners were rewarded for outstanding performance at the national level. They included partners who performed excellently in Sponsored Data and Activation and those who won national awards in the Recharge category.

The event was held to “honour not just individual successes, but the collaborative spirit that drives innovation and growth”, according to a statement from Globacom. It added that each of the partners “continues to play crucial roles in Globacom’s mission to empower people and businesses, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in telecommunications”.

Globacom shared with them its current and future projections to grow the company and maintain a win-win partnership with the business partners and promised to constantly take their interest and that of other stakeholders into account in all of its plans and projections.

“We are excited about the future, of our continued partnership in serving our customers, fulfilling their needs and helping them achieve their ambitions. We count on you all to be by our side all the way”, the company reiterated to the business partners.

Globacom, which recently clocked 21st, noted that it has grown from being a telecommunications service provider to becoming a Digital and Technology Company, leading the drive into Nigeria’s digital future. It promised to continue to explore unlimited opportunities to serve the customers by investing heavily in the latest tools and technologies.

The company recently unveiled My-G which gives subscribers more data value and more freedom to explore their passions. It has also reinvigorated the Glo Cafe app to give subscribers total control and access to entertainment, gaming, data solutions and other VAS services on their mobile devices. Glo also enhanced the Berekete tariff plan to give unparalleled juicy benefits to subscribers, ensuring that every new business innovation, product and service bring Glo customers one step closer to their goals.

However, the partners had a terrific time being entertained, so the event wasn’t just about business presentations and prizes. Lilian Yeri Danceworld, an all-female dance company with a lot of versatile dance movements, was available to entertain the guests.

Celebrated musician, Flavour, also brightened up the evening with great music, adding color to bring the celebration to a close. Several guests joined him on the dance floor to enjoy his songs and flow along with his captivating performance.

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Charles Osuji: Canada Celebrates a Legal Wizard

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By Eric Elezuo

From a very humble beginning in Imo State, South East Nigeria, Charles Osuji has not only found the golden fleece, but had nature give him a soft landing on posterity; the evidence of his prolific hard work.

Here’s the story of a man, who transcended boundaries and borders, challenges and huddles as well as barriers to take the legal profession by storm, hitting the highest echelon with panache in far away Calgary, Alberta in Canada. He graduated top of his class with honours from Imo State University in 2009, and called to the Nigerian bar from where he migrated to Canada. He was absorbed into the then Smith Law Office, where he had a successful articling before being admitted into the Alberta Bar in 2014. He became a partner in 2016, and moved to sole ownership in 2017.

Today, Canada celebrates a man of vision, impact, focus, determination and commitment to growth, just as Nigeria walks tall with pride at a total package of dignity, influence, affluence and candor exportable to the global world. His name is Dr. Charles Osuji, the Chief Executive Officer of one of Canada’s most thriving law firm, Osuji & Smith Lawyers. Osuji proved from day one to be a man, who knows what he wants, and it is no accident that he has achieved so much, and yet not rested on any oars. He sits comfortably as the owner of the largest black-owned law firm in Canada.

Osuji’s larger than life achievements have been encapsulated in what most authorities have said and written about him.

In a speech during the welcoming of The Boss Publisher, Chief Dele Momodu, in Calgary the week before, Barrister Juliet Omonigho, has this to say about Dr. Osuji

“Sir, let me tell you a bit about Dr. Charles Osuji; like Chief Dr. Momodu, he embarked on a journey fueled by vision and determination. Charles arrived in Canada and quickly rose through the ranks with sheer hard work, humility, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. In just a few short years, five years to be exact, he went from a young Nigerian boy in his twenties who, though graduated at the top of his class, seemed to have no prospects when he arrived in Canada, working three menial jobs to make ends meet, to finally getting an articling position after over 200 rejections! He bought the firm just three years after Articling and, in just five short years as managing partner, led it to become the largest black-owned law firm in Canada! His story is one of resilience, innovation, courage and the kind of tenacity that transforms dreams into reality.

“Osuji & Smith Lawyers, under Charles’ leadership, mirrors the journey of Ovation International. Both entities began with a vision, faced numerous challenges, achieved feats that had never been achieved before… and ultimately became symbols of success and excellence in their respective fields. Just as Chief Dr. Dele Momodu has become a beacon of pride for Africa in the global media landscape, Dr. Charles Osuji and his firm have become shining examples of what can be achieved by a young immigrant lawyer with no connections in Canada but through hard work and a commitment to uplifting others rise to national recognition in this country.

“Through the Foot in the Door Initiative, FIDI, an organization founded to empower internally trained lawyers Charles, our firm’s reach is international, giving incredible opportunities to internationally trained lawyers around the world to gain legal experience so they do not have to spend years writing hundreds of applications as he did before getting a foot in the door into a legal profession.

“As a director of the program, we get contacted by lawyers from around the world about the opportunity to be part of the initiative, and we say yes, which gives them the confidence to move to Canada to pursue their legal careers. The impact of the FIDI innovation is truly global.

“Our firm is so successful because Charles has assembled an incredible team of legal minds producing first-class work and the most dedicated and brilliant administrative staff. And collectively, we are all determined and dedicated to giving back. We are a full-service law firm with a diverse staff that speaks over 31 languages; by the way, Chief Momodu, we know you are a linguist who speaks several languages. Our ages range from twenties to seventies, and we serve a diverse Canada.

“As a result of Charles’ leadership, Nigeria is uplifting others regardless of race, ethnicity, or nationality. Over 200 FIDI students from different races have passed through our doors. Osuji & Smith has won landmark cases that established precedents, especially in employment law.

“Our firm has won over 105 awards across Canada, and Charles was recognized as one of Canada’s 25 most influential lawyers at age 35.

“Chief Dr. Momodu, you have led the way, setting an incredible example for a person like Dr. Charles Osuji—to rise to remarkable heights while keeping your focus on a larger mission: showcasing excellence, rewriting narratives, and creating opportunities for others. Your story continues to impact us even in the diaspora. It reminds us that with vision, determination, and the courage to stand for something greater than ourselves, there are no limits to what we can achieve.”

For a gentleman, who moved to Canada in 2011, it is quite impressive how he has climbed the ladders of success, and settled at the very height of greatness.

OF CHARLES OSUJI AND OSUJI & SMITH LAWYERS

By the age of 30, Charles Osuji, an internationally trained lawyer from Nigeria, bought a 37-year-old firm wherein he had served as an articling student not long before. Today, Osuji & Smith is a thriving small-sized firm that offers multi-generational and multi-cultural perspectives to its client base. The firm’s diverse staff includes lawyers who are educated or trained abroad, as well as individuals who can speak English, Igbo, Mandarin, Cantonese, Bengali, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, French, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. Professionals at Osuji & Smith can bring their diverse legal, financial and lived experiences to the table, which is what sets the firm apart from others.

Charles Osuji acts as a role model for young professionals and as a mentor to the associate lawyers, articling students and legal assistants at the firm. For these reasons, Three Best Rated has consistently named Osuji & Smith, beginning in 2017, as one of the top-rated employment and business firms in Calgary.

Also on the endless list of those, who have one or two things to say about Osuji is the site LEXPERT Business of Law, who wrote in 2021 as follows:

In 2011, Charles Osuji uprooted himself — and his developing legal career — to move to Calgary from Nigeria. An internationally trained lawyer, he came to Canada knowing he’d have to become re-accredited and develop a new network of personal and professional colleagues — but Osuji wasn’t daunted by these challenges. He joined what is now Osuji & Smith Lawyers in 2013 as an articling student, was called to the Alberta Bar in 2014, became partner at the firm in 2016 and then, at the age of 31, made another bold move: he became sole owner of the firm. At an age when most lawyers are still preoccupied with learning their craft, Osuji stands at the helm of a thriving and fast rising small-sized law firm as managing partner and CEO.

Osuji was recently named one of Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers; was recognized in both Canada and Avenue Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 Award categoryies; won the Immigrant of Distinction — Achievement Under 35 Award from Immigrant Services Calgary; was recently recognized, and voted by his fellow lawyers across Canada, in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, 2022, for his outstanding professional excellence in private practice; and was a nominee for the Canadian Bar Association’s 2020 Douglas Miller Rising Star Award.

Osuji & Smith covers a number of areas of law including personal injury, immigration, civil litigation, business, wills and estate, real estate, family, and employment and labour. Clients, which represent a cross-section of Alberta businesses and individuals, benefit from the firm’s multi-generational and multi-cultural perspectives, and Osuji’s willingness to provide these different perspectives sets his firm apart in the Calgary market. He strives to bring an entrepreneurial, multi-cultural and holistic approach to the practice of law.

Osuji is dedicated to providing mentoring and leadership for his staff and is also “a volunteer extraordinaire.” He plays piano at his church, provides pro bono work such as with E-Fry and legal clinics and is a mentor for other newcomer professionals through the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Counsel, where he participates in workshops and panel conversations as well as serves on the Board of Directors and as Secretary.

Despite his fast and furious rise in the Canadian legal community, Osuji remains humble, genuine and kind. His unique combination of high intellect, tireless work ethic and business acumen fuels this rising star, but Osuji remains grounded by his role as a model citizen for all young professionals.

A multi-award-winning lawyer across divides, Charles Osuji remains undaunted, churning out firsts after first.

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