Public sculpture in Nigeria has long served as a mirror of national values and civic aspiration. From the post-independence era to the early 2000s, university campuses emerged as cultural landscapes that expressed ideals of knowledge, professionalism, and service. These sculptures, often installed in front of faculty buildings, symbolised the moral and intellectual foundations of academic life.
Among such monuments, The Lawyer (2004) by Veronica Otigbo-Ekpei stands as a landmark in Nigeria’s modern sculptural history. Executed in polyester resin and once installed at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG), the life-size figure embodied civic pride and educational integrity. As one of the few campus sculptures by a woman artist in Nigeria at the time, The Lawyer remains an important reference point in understanding how art, education, and professional ethics intersect in Nigerian public space.
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About the Artist: Veronica Otigbo-Ekpei
Veronica Otigbo-Ekpei (born 1966, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State) is a Nigerian sculptor recognised for her figurative realism and engagement with public art. She studied Fine and Applied Arts at the College of Education, Ijanikin, and later obtained her BA and MA in Sculpture from the University of Lagos. Her academic training combined traditional sculptural techniques with the innovative use of modern materials such as resin and fibreglass, situating her practice at the crossroads of classical form and contemporary experimentation.
Otigbo-Ekpei’s portfolio includes woodcarvings, resin sculptures, and monumental commissions for public institutions. Her works have appeared in Nigerian exhibitions and international catalogues, including listings by Bonhams, which recognises her as one of the few Nigerian women sculptors represented in the global art market.
Historically, sculpture in Nigeria has been a male-dominated discipline, led by artists such as Ben Enwonwu, Lamidi Fakeye, and Monday Akhidue. Otigbo-Ekpei’s achievements therefore mark a pivotal expansion of gender representation in Nigerian modern art, affirming the growing role of women in shaping the nation’s artistic and civic identity.
Creation and Material
The Lawyer was completed in 2004, during a period of national renewal following Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999. According to the Archives of Women Artists, Research & Exhibitions (AWARE), the sculpture measures approximately 213 cm (7 ft) and was created entirely in polyester resin, not in bronze, steel, or polystyrene, as earlier informal accounts once suggested. This clarification underscores the importance of verified documentation in Nigerian art scholarship.
Polyester resin’s weather resistance and fine surface finish made it an ideal medium for Otigbo-Ekpei’s naturalistic approach. The sculpture depicts a male lawyer in full courtroom attire, wig, gown, and collar, holding a law book close to his chest. The upright stance and calm expression convey integrity, intellect, and moral authority, qualities central to the artist’s language of civic symbolism and professional identity.
Institutional and Historical Context
Founded in 1962, the University of Lagos has been a centre of academic excellence and artistic experimentation. Its Faculty of Law, among Nigeria’s most respected, has trained generations of lawyers, jurists, and policymakers. The installation of The Lawyer at the Faculty entrance visually reinforced UNILAG’s institutional values: justice, integrity, and intellectual discipline.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nigerian universities commissioned sculptures that embodied national ideals of progress and moral order. These campus monuments were not merely decorative but served as civic icons. Within this context, Otigbo-Ekpei’s Lawyer became a visual metaphor for ethical conduct and the pursuit of justice within the university community.
According to The Nation (Nigeria, 2015), the sculpture remained in place for several years before being replaced by a bronze monument titled Culture and Justice, donated by Prince Yemisi Shyllon. This change reflected a shift in the university’s art management practices rather than a loss of regard for Otigbo-Ekpei’s earlier contribution.
Gender and Representation in Nigerian Sculpture
Otigbo-Ekpei’s authorship of The Lawyer carries deep symbolic weight within the gendered history of Nigerian sculpture. Women artists in Nigeria, though active in painting, ceramics, and textiles, have historically had limited access to large-scale or public commissions. By producing a life-sized sculpture for a major university, Otigbo-Ekpei broke through professional barriers and expanded the visibility of women in Nigerian public art.
Her accomplishment served as a model for emerging female sculptors in the 2000s and 2010s, inspiring greater participation in monumental and site-specific art. In this sense, The Lawyer is not only a representation of legal professionalism but also a monument to gender inclusion in the nation’s artistic landscape.
Symbolism and Public Meaning
The visual language of The Lawyer is clear yet layered with meaning. The figure’s steady posture and formal attire evoke the virtues of justice, discipline, and civic responsibility. The lawyer’s wig and gown, inherited from British colonial legal tradition, are reinterpreted here as emblems of continuity and moral order within Nigeria’s evolving democracy.
For students and faculty at UNILAG, the sculpture became more than an ornament, it was a familiar landmark and backdrop for graduation photographs and campus ceremonies. By embodying the ideals of the legal profession in human form, Otigbo-Ekpei’s sculpture transformed abstract concepts such as justice and integrity into tangible, everyday symbols.
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Legacy and Documentation
Although The Lawyer no longer stands at its original site, it remains preserved in art historical records. The AWARE database provides verified documentation of its medium, scale, and authorship, ensuring the work’s place in the broader narrative of Nigerian sculpture. This record is especially significant given the frequent under-documentation or misattribution of women’s contributions to public art.
By accurately identifying the sculpture’s material and creator, AWARE and related archives have helped correct gaps in Nigeria’s art history, reaffirming Otigbo-Ekpei’s rightful place among the country’s modern sculptors.
Two decades after its creation, The Lawyer continues to symbolise the convergence of law, education, and gender equity in Nigeria’s public imagination.
The Lawyer (2004) by Veronica Otigbo-Ekpei represents the intersection of realism, civic symbolism, and institutional pride in Nigerian sculpture. Executed in polyester resin and displayed at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, it celebrated professionalism, integrity, and national progress while marking a milestone in the recognition of women in Nigeria’s sculptural practice.
Author’s Note
Beyond its physical form, the work endures as a metaphor for justice, knowledge, and inclusion, values that remain central to Nigeria’s democratic and cultural identity. Otigbo-Ekpei’s achievement affirms that Nigerian public sculpture continues to evolve: grounded in realism, enriched by diversity, and devoted to civic ideals.
References:
1. AWARE – Archives of Women Artists, Research & Exhibitions.
Veronica Otigbo-Ekpei. Accessed 2025.
(Details of The Lawyer, 2004: medium, dimensions, installation history.)
2. Bonhams Auction Records.
Artist Profile: Veronica Otigbo-Ekpei.
(Exhibition and auction documentation confirming professional practice.)
3. The Nation (Nigeria).
“Shyllon Donates Sculpture to UNILAG.” 2015.
(Press report confirming installation of Culture and Justice at the Faculty of Law.)
