Professor Akinola Ibidapo-Obe is the President and Chairman of Council of Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution Development & Conflict Management of Nigeria Ltd/Gte (i-ADRNigeria)
He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B) from the University of Lagos in 1977 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1978. He served in the National Youth Service (NYSC) programme till July 1979 before he proceeded to obtain his Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from University of Ife,Ile- Ife in 1981 with distinction.
Ibidapo-Obe joined the law firm of Kusamotu Olojo& Company in January 1981 until December 1984 when he established his own law firm of Akin Ibidapo-Obe & Company with which he has continued his Law practice till the present day.
Ibidapo-Obe began his academic career as a Lecturer Grade 2 at Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile- Ife in January 1986 and subsequently transferred his service to the University of Lagos in January 1989 as a Lecturer Grade 1.
At the University of Lagos he taught, at various times, Constitutional Law Human Rights, Criminology, Customary Law, and Sentencing and Treatment of Offenders to undergraduate and graduate students.
He was promoted Professor in 2011 and was elected Dean, Faculty of Law and served between 2014 and 2016.
Ibidapo-Obe has published numerous articles in local and international journals. He has authoured /co-authoured several books namely:
Nigerian Bail Process and Human Rights in Nigeria, (with Clement Nwankwo); Essays on Human Rights Law in Nigeria; A Synthesis of African Law; In the Public Interest; GANI: Crusader for Justice (with F. Abayomi Williams); Arbitration in Lagos State (with F. Abayomi Williams); Awise Agbaiye ( Essays in Honour of Professor Wande Abimbola (co- Edited with Chiedozie Okoro); and Yoruba Philosophy of Law and Religion;
Ibidapo-Obe is the Founder and General Editor of the Nigerian Journal of African Law ( in seven editions) published by the International Centre for African Law Studies (CALS) established by him.
Ibidapo-Obe is an international scholar of repute, having been Visiting Professor/ Scholar to Southern University, Baton Rouge Louisiana United States; University of Nottingham, United Kingdom; Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States;
He has delivered papers at international conferences at Oxford University, U.K;
Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire; Morocco, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. .
Ibidapo-Obe was inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators in 2009 and was on the Faculty responsible the training of the Fellowship cadre until 2023.
Also, he was until October 2023 a member of the Governing Council of Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICARB) on which Council he served for five years, winning the prestigious Chief Afe Babalola Award for “outstanding contribution to the development of the institute”
Professor Ibidapo-Obe was a Founding Editor and regular article contributor to the Journal of Arbitration published by NICARB.
Presently Professor Ibidapo-Obe is a member of the Governing Council and Faculty of the Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution Development & Conflict Management Nigeria. (i-ADRNigeria).