Adebanke Ilori Oyeniyi is a lawyer and development professional. Her professional experience spans across politics, inclusive governance, and legislative reforms.
She serves as the Executive Director of Raising New Voices Initiative, a non governmental organization in Nigeria and as the Managing Editor of Lawyard, a platform for interactions around the practice of law in Nigeria.
In 2019, Adebanke led New Voices to conduct the national #BreakTheHold campaign providing resources to competent young people under 35 contesting to be members of the Federal House of Representatives. As a woman in politics, she was in 2019 appointed as the National Publicity Secretary of Kowa Party making her the youngest female to occupy the position in Nigeria. Nigeria currently has less than 5% representation of women in politics and she has used this role to prioritize gender mainstreaming and promote initiatives aimed at increasing women participation in politics across the Country.
As an advocate for social equality, she has championed the right of prison inmates to education in line with the UN Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners by collaborating with government and donor agencies to provide formal education to prisoners in Abuja, Nigeria. She has worked for the implementation of laws to promote the rights of children, and prevention of violence against persons.
As a Pan African, she has facilitated extensive deliberations at the African Union on the importance of youth integration in the actualization of Agenda 2063 particularly with promotion of intracontinental trade.
Adebanke obtained her bachelor’s degree in law from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and holds a Certificate in Public Management from Bridgewater State University, Massachusetts. She is also currently pursuing her Master’s in International development and Policy at the University of Chicago.
She is a 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow and sits on the boards of various non-governmental organizations in Nigeria.