Dame Priscilla Kuye
First Female President of The Nigerian Bar Association
Law Sector
Dame Priscilla Kuye was born in Lagos and hails from Ijebu in Ogun State, Nigeria. She attended St. James’ Primary School, Ibadan, St. Anne’s School, Ibadan, St. Theresa’s College, Ibadan, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, England, where she obtained S.R.N., University of London where she graduated LL.B (Lond) in August 1966, and Gray’s Inn, London. She also attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar on the 19th day of June, 1967.
Dame Kuye has been practising as a legal practitioner since 1967. She worked with the legal firm of Burke and Company before establishing her own legal firm, Priscilla Kuye and Company in 1970 as the principal partner.
She is a Director of Nigerian Gas Cylinders Manufacturing Co. Ltd, Midas Stockbrokers, and other companies. She was elected the first female President of the Nigerian Bar Association on January 24, 1992, having served the Association as ex officio member, Financial Secretary, 3rd Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, and First Vice-President. She has served in many Committees of the Association, as a member of the Disciplinary Committee, Chairman of, Human Rights Committee, and a member of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. She is a life member of the Body of Benchers and a Trustee of the Nigerian Bar Association. She was elected the first Regional Vice-President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers in 1979 and served till 1981. She was Vice-President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association from May 1993 to 2003.
Dame Kuye served the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce as an executive member, Hon. General Secretary, Vice-President, and Deputy President before being elected as the President in 1999. She completed her tenure of office in August 2003.
At the religious level, Dame Kuye is a member of the Catholic Women Organisation, Confraternity of Christian Mothers, and the Laity Council. She is the Founding President of the Archdiocesan Confraternity of Christian Mothers, Lagos, and a Past National President. She is the past President of the Confraternity of Christian Mothers, Falomo, and the Catholic Women Organisation (C.W.O.). She is the First Female President, Archdiocesan Laity Council (1986 – 1990); Past Provincial Chairman, Lagos Ecclesiastical Province, National Vice-Chairman, Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria. Member, Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome – 2001 and re-elected for a second term by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI in June 2008.
Dame Kuye is a Trustee of the Herbert Macaulay Foundation, Century Sports of Nigeria, Inter African Committee (IAC) Nigeria on Traditional Practices Affecting the health of Women and Children in Africa, and the Nigerian Bar Association. She was a Council member of St. Augustine’s College of Education (Project T.I.M.E.) Akoka and The Centre for Constitutional Governance (C.C.G.).
Dame Kuye was recently appointed by the United Nations Educational and Scientific Culture Organisation (UNESCO) to draft the Convention on the protection of the diversity of cultural contents and artistic expressions with other world legal experts in Paris.
She is a member of the National Peace Committee, a life member of The National Council of Women’s Societies, Nigeria, and The International Council of Women, Paris. She served the Lagos State N.C.W.S. as Treasurer and Vice-President, and the National body in various capacities, including Chairman, Laws, and the Status of Women Committee. She is currently the President of the National Council of Women’s Societies, South-West Zone. She was also the International Council of Women, Past Vice-Convener, Laws and the Status of Women Committee from 1986 – 1994.
Dame Kuye served as a member of the National Committee on Women and Children, which examined local and international laws dealing with women and children. The committee made recommendations to the Government. She was a member of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) until 2024.
Dame Kuye is the Vice-Chairman South of The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF). She is also a member of the Lay Faithful Trust Foundation.
