By Toyin Adeniyi
Sixty-two-year-old Mr. Segun Osinaike possesses an incredibly positive mindset. His age notwithstanding, he was determined to achieve his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer, pursuing that goal with unrelenting passion.
Today July 7, that dream of being called to the Nigerian bar is fulfilled. He is among the thousands of people that have braced all odds to become lawyers..
His guiding philosophy is to place a premium on what you want and remain determined to achieve it.
That philosophy was ringing in his ears as retirement stared him in the face. Just a few years before retiring from the Lagos State Civil service as a secondary school principal, he was admitted to the National Open University of Nigeria to study law.
Ambition becomes relaity
By the time he retired four years ago, he had completed the programme and was set for law school. Unlike regular students, he spent two years in law school, spread over a four-year period.
“It seems like yesterday. It took sheer determination, and here we are today. I am done with law school and can now be addressed as a barrister,” he said, looking back with a tinge of nostalgia.
Apart from his passion for the profession, Osinaike was concerned about survival after retirement. “I knew I could not just depend on the retirement stipend. I still have to take care of my family. Thinking about that alone made my resolve to study law stronger.”
He acknowledged the support of his wife and children, adding, however, that returning to the classroom decades after his first degree meant adapting to a new environment filled largely with young people and unfamiliar dynamics.
Experience
“I stayed in the hostel, so I had to mingle with the younger guys,” he said. “I even used their lingo and built a good rapport with them.”
According to him, law school required long hours of lectures from morning until evening, participation in study groups, and constant revision. For someone who admits he was no longer used to the rigours of study, discipline became essential. “I made sure I never missed a lecture, and at the end of the day, I reviewed my notes,” he said.
There were also sacrifices. Social outings were set aside, time on social media was reduced, and family visits were limited. “It was not easy,” he admitted.
At one point, a strange disease broke out in the law school hostel, leaving many students weak. Still, he pressed on. “There was never a time I felt like giving up,” he stressed. “This is a dream I’ve had since childhood. I could not afford to give up.”
God’s help
Through it all, Osinaike credits not just hard work, but God’s help. “I survived law school through prayer,” he said. “It is by the grace of God that I finished successfully.”
Encouraged by a mentor who told him to “read like you have never read before and pray like you have never prayed before,” he found strength in both study and faith—an approach that carried him through the most demanding moments.
Now, having completed his studies, Osinaike looks ahead to the next phase: training under a mentor as a solicitor, with interests in corporate and property law.
Beyond personal achievement, his journey carries a broader message that challenges common assumptions about age, timing, and possibility.
For many, dreams are quietly set aside, postponed by financial limitations or the belief that time has passed. His story offers a different perspective: that purpose can be rediscovered and ambitions can be revived, no matter how long they have been delayed.
Osinaike encourages others to pursue their dreams. “Learning does not have a termination point; it is a continuous process. You need to be brave and courageous. There is no limit to what one can become. Just value what you want and be determined and you will have it.”
