Folake Solanke (born 29 March 1932), SAN, CON, LLD, is a Nigerian lawyer, administrator, and social critic. She is the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the first Nigerian female lawyer to wear silk gown and the first Commissioner of Western State.^[1] She is the 42nd and the first African president of Zonta International, an international service organization that focus primarily on advancing the status of women. She served as the Chairperson of the Western Nigeria Television Broadcasting Corporation (WNTBC).^[2] In 2012, she bagged the International Bar Association, Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award at the International Bar Association's 5th World Women Lawyers’ Conference held in London. She was conferred with the award in recognition of her professional excellence and immense contribution to the advancement of women within the legal profession.^[3]

Early life

Chief Solanke was born on 29th March 1932 in the family of late Pa. J.S Odulate at Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State south-western Nigeria. In 1937, she attended Ago Oko primary school and Emo girls school Abeokuta in 1940 before she was admitted into Methodist girls high school Yaba Lagos where she obtained the West African School Certificate in 1949 and became the first student of the school to obtain grade one certificate. She spent a year at Queen's College, Lagos before she proceeded to the University of Newscastle, England where she obtained a Bachelor of Art degree in Latin and Mathematics in 1954.^[4] She received a diploma certificate in education in 1955, the same year she joined Pipers Corner School, Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire in England where she taught Latin and mathematics for 2 years. She later joined the services of St Monica's High School, England where she taught the same subjects for one year, between 1957 and 1958.^[5] In 1960, she was admitted into Gray's Inn, London for a degree in law and was Call to the bar in 1962, the same year she returned to Nigeria to practice Law.^[6]

Career

She began her law career in 1962 at the chamber of late Honourable Justice Michael Adeyinka Odesanya (rtd). She spent a year in the chamber before she joined the chamber of Chief Frederick Rotimi Williams as junior counsel in 1963. In 1972, she was appointed the first Commissioner of Western State and chairperson of the Western Nigeria Television Broadcasting Corporation (WNTBC).^[7] In 1981, she became the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the first Nigerian female lawyer to wear the silk gown On July 21, 1994 she was elected as the 42nd president of Zontal International and became the first non–caucasian, African president of the organization since its establishment in 1919. Prior to her election as the 42nd substantive president of Zontal International, she served as the District Governor for Africa and later as Vice-president of the organization. Although she contested the position in Helsinki in 1988 but lost the election. She made another attempt in Texas in 1990 but lost before her election in 1994.^[8] Her autobiography, [[Reaching for the stars was published in 2007. The book described her as a "Lady of many first" and how she rose to prominence in the legal profession.^[9] Solanke had received numerous awards. She he a receiver of a National honour of the Commander of the Order of Niger.^[10] In 1981, she was conferred with a traditional title of "Yeyemofin of Ife" by the late Okunade Sijuwade Olabuse II, the 50th Ooni of Ife, following her conferment with Senior Advocate of Nigeria.^[11] In 2012, she bagged the International Bar Association, Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award at the International Bar Association's 5th World Women Lawyers’ Conference held in London.^[12] On January 2015, she was honored with a honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by The Sun Newspaper and the award ceremony was held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Saturday, January 17, 2015.^[13]