Barrister Rodiyah Omotoyosi Mikhail gained widespread attention after photos from her Call to Bar ceremony showed her wearing a niqab beneath her traditional legal wig and gown.
Mikhail was called to the Nigerian Bar in September 2025, and her appearance quickly went viral, prompting discussions about religious expression and professional dress within Nigeria’s legal system.
While social media posts have described her as the country’s first lawyer to wear a niqab, that claim has not been officially confirmed by Nigeria’s legal authorities. However, she is widely being recognized as the first known Nigerian lawyer to publicly wear a niqab while entering the profession.
Her story has become part of a broader conversation about whether professional spaces can make room for faith, identity and individual expression.
Source: @africa
