I Was Called to the Nigerian Bar in 2003; I Gave it Up in 2005, Dropped the Wig and the Gown-Adebayo

NEWS HUB CREATOR • 25m ago

Nollywood actor and producer Femi Adebayo has revealed how his passion for the entertainment industry eventually led him to abandon his legal career, just two years after being called to the Nigerian Bar.

Adebayo made this known during an interview on Afrobeats Podcast on Saturday, November 14, 2026, where he spoke about his professional journey and the decision to pursue acting and film production despite having trained and qualified as a lawyer.

The actor disclosed that he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2003 and went on to practise litigation, appearing before courts and participating in legal proceedings. He explained that he had the opportunity to experience the demands of legal practice, including courtroom procedures and the formal language commonly used by lawyers when addressing judges and opposing counsel.

However, despite having qualified and begun practising law, Adebayo said he continued to feel a strong attraction towards the acting profession. He noted that his interest in entertainment remained persistent, making it increasingly difficult for him to ignore the career path he had always been drawn to.

According to him, he practised law for approximately two years before making the decision to leave the profession in 2005. He subsequently put aside his legal career and committed himself fully to acting and film production.

His decision marked a significant shift in his professional life, as he traded the courtroom for the film industry and began building a career that would eventually establish him as one of Nollywood’s recognised actors and producers.

Reflecting on the transition, Adebayo said the attraction of acting ultimately outweighed his desire to continue practising law, despite the years he had invested in his legal education and professional qualification.

He said, “I was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2003, did litigation, and practised before the Court of Law, saying, ‘As it pleases your Lordship’ and ‘My learned friend for the respondent.’ I did that for about two years, and something kept dragging me to the acting world. So, I gave it up in 2005, dropped the wig and gown, and went fully into acting and producing.”