Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has officially rejected and disassociated himself from the purported conferment of the Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN) rank, commonly referred to as the “Blue Silk”, by the Nigerian Law Society (NLS).
​The rejection comes directly in the wake of the Nigerian Law Society’s 2026 Annual General Conference, held on Thursday, November 5, 2026, where NLS President Ambassador Paul Erewoc biometric announcements were made conferring the rank on five legal professionals, including Fani-Kayode and Seyi Tinubu.
​In an official statement released on Friday, November 6, 2026, spokespersons representing Ambassador Fani-Kayode clarified that the diplomat never applied for, approved, or consented to the conferment of the SCN honor.
​The statement emphasized that while individuals may have attended or represented him at the event in Abuja, neither their presence nor any correspondence issued on his behalf should be construed as an acceptance of the title.
​”Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode maintains that he did not seek, authorize, or accept the rank of Senior Counsel of Nigeria from the Nigerian Law Society, and any representation made at the event does not equate to an endorsement or acceptance of the title.”
​The conferment occurred during the NLS Annual General Conference on November 5, 2026. During the session, the President of the Nigerian Law Society addressed attendees on reforms needed for non-litigation law graduates and access to justice, announcing the establishment of the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (BOSCON) alongside the SCN rank.
​Despite the NLS listing Ambassador Fani-Kayode among the recipients of the ‘Blue Silk’ rank, the envoy’s formal disavowal on November 6, 2026, firmly places his stance on record, declining the designation completely.
