This remarkable woman of substance, despite her physical challenge, remains an undisputed powerhouse. She is a lawyer, a distinguished on-air personality, a life coach, a social media influencer, an author, and the founder of Amputees United Initiative, a platform she uses to add immeasurable value to the lives of persons without limbs and persons with disabilities at large.
Mrs. Lawal attended Command Children School for her primary education. Upon graduating, she proceeded to Queens College, Yaba, in Lagos for her secondary education.
After her secondary education, she gained admission to the reputable Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, in Ogun State. However, during her second year at the university, studying law, something unexpected occurred that threatened to change the trajectory of her life. After a minor domestic accident, Mrs. Lawal was diagnosed with bone cancer, a paralyzing news she never imagined.
She wished with great optimism that the depressing news was a slip of the tongue or a sort of prank. But unfortunately, wishes were not horses. The diagnosis was the beginning of her new reality. In no distant time, her doctor confirmed that her affected leg must be amputated for her to stay alive. Being a vibrant youth with an ambition to become a classy lawyer, losing one of her legs was a difficult but necessary choice because she had to live.
After months of depressing fear of what might be, her leg was finally, but painfully, amputated in February 2006, at the age of twenty.
With one leg gone but her hunger for success intact, Mrs. Lawal took the fight to life by returning to the university to complete her degree program in law. By 2010, she proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, where she graduated with upper credit. Subsequently, she was called to the bar in the same year.
Having become a stylish lawyer, Mrs. Lawal began her career as a radio host in full swing. She has, thus far, worked for media organizations like Nigeria Info and Smooth Radio, where she became popular for her engaging programs. Remarkably, Mrs. Lawal did not rest on her laurels. She embarked on a series of life-changing voluntary services to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, ensuring they are well-empowered academically and vocationally. As a result of these efforts, coupled with her numerous praiseworthy achievements, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, appointed her as his special advisor in 2021.
Without mincing words, even the most hard-to-please individuals will be proud of this woman, who has, without a doubt, changed the narrative for persons with disabilities in Nigeria and beyond. I am fully convinced that Mrs. Lawal will forever be a motivating force for those who want to defy the odds.
