From an early age, Ambassador Ebun Aforo nurtured a strong ambition to become a lawyer, an aspiration that was both bold and pioneering for a young Sierra Leonean woman at the time. At the onset of her academic journey, Sierra Leone had not yet established a Faculty of Law. Undeterred, she remained committed to her goal, seeking every opportunity to enter the legal profession.
She holds the remarkable distinction of being the first Sierra Leonean lawyer trained in Sierra Leone and the first female student to be enrolled in the Faculty of Law at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. When the faculty was officially inaugurated, she was admitted alongside a Gambian colleague, marking a milestone in the representation of women in legal education. Before embarking fully on her legal path, she obtained her undergraduate degree and worked at the Bank of Sierra Leone for eight years, gaining invaluable professional experience.
Following the completion of her law degree, Ambassador Aforo enrolled at the Sierra Leone Law School. On March 15, 1991, she was one of only seven students called to the Bar—and notably, the sole Sierra Leonean woman among them. Her legal career began at Basma & Macaulay, under the mentorship of Mr. Berthan Macaulay Jnr., where she practiced and refined her skills for five years.
Her pursuit of advanced legal training took her to the United States, where she earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Law from Georgetown University Law Center and later a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Georgia, Athens. Upon admission to the Georgia State Bar, she co-founded Aforo & Associates in Stone Mountain, Georgia, with two other distinguished West African lawyers. The firm quickly earned recognition, specializing in Immigration, Criminal, and Juvenile Law before expanding into Personal Injury and Divorce Litigation.
Ambassador Aforo’s career path took a diplomatic turn in December 2010 when His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, then President of Sierra Leone, appointed her as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. In 2016, she was elevated to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Senegal, with concurrent accreditations to Morocco, Mauritania, and Cape Verde. In these roles, she worked tirelessly to strengthen Sierra Leone’s bilateral and multilateral ties, advancing the nation’s visibility and influence on the international stage.
After retiring from diplomatic service in 2019, she returned to her first passion, the practice of law. In 2020, she relaunched her law firm under the name Namina Chambers in Sierra Leone, bringing with her decades of international and national experience. Namina
Chambers now stands as a symbol of legal brilliance, combining the heritage of her Atlanta-based firm with a renewed focus on justice and advocacy at home.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Ambassador Aforo was honored on March 7, 2025, by the Sierra Leone Bar Association as one of the most distinguished women in law. Reflecting on her journey, she takes pride in the progress made in women’s representation in the legal profession, from her days as the only female at the Bar in 1991 to the growing number of women lawyers today. Nonetheless, she continues to advocate for higher professional standards, calling for mandatory periodic training as a requirement for Roll of Court renewal.
Now retired, Ambassador Ebun Aforo owns and manages Aqua Leo, a water company located at 17 Wallace Johnson Street, Freetown. Her legacy—as a trailblazer, diplomat, lawyer, and entrepreneur. She remains a source of inspiration for many in Sierra Leone and beyond.
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