Event information
The Legal 500 is pleased to host an exclusive summit for in-house counsel in West Africa. In partnership with Olajide Oyewole LLP, G.Elias & Co, Alliance Law Firm and Dentons ACAS-Law, corporate counsel from across Nigeria are going to convene at The Wheatbaker Lagos to consider contemporary issues for Nigerian counsel as well as the broader picture for business and foreign investment, including the very on topic matter of ESG. Panel discussions will look at the challenges faced by in-house counsel in Nigeria as well as the opportunities presented by the current market.
As the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria has spent the last decade implementing vast economic reforms that have left the country well placed to enter into a new period of prosperity and our panels will draw upon their experience to highlight the key factors for in-house counsel to be on the lookout for.
The Summit will be followed by dedicated time for networking, drinks and canapés.
Agenda
12.30pm – 1.30pm Registration and Buffet Lunch
1.30pm – 2.00pm Opening Speech and Keynote Speaker
- Prof. Joseph Nnanna, chief economist, Development Bank of Nigeria
2.00pm – 2.50pm An Overview of Data Protection Best Practice
- Uche Val Obi SAN, founding principal and managing partner, Alliance Law Firm
- Dr. Bharat Soni, chief information security officer, GTBank
- Oluwatoyin Araromi, head compliance & ethics, MTN Nigeria
- Abisola Epoyun, senior legal officer, Flutterwave
2.50pm – 3.40pm Employee Directors – Topical Issues Arising
The two hats worn by an employee director (i.e., executive directors and the managing director) raises a number of issues which will be discussed by the panellists under four sub-topics – containment, protection, ethics and criminal exposure.
- Containment. Under this head, the panel will discuss questions around checking the control of the employee directors (i.e., they are involved in both administration and management). Some of the strategies for containment to be discussed are (a) separate agreements for the two roles and one can be terminated independently of the other and (b) short terms/tenure.
- Protection. The company should also not be anti-employee directors and recognise their service. This recognition can be by way of great termination benefits and liability insurance to cover the exposure of the employee director to risk.
- Ethics. The usual conversations around conflict of interest, disclosures, duty to act in good faith feature here. Additional considerations for the relationship of director ‘representing’ a parent company on the board of the subsidiary will also be explored.
- Criminal Exposure. The effect of competition law requirements for senior management will form a big part of the discourse here. New requirements like data protection for which non-compliance attracts criminal liability would be looked at.
- Fidelis Adewole, partner, G.Elias
- Okechukwu Okoro, partner, G.Elias
- Ayotola Jagun, chief compliance officer and company secretary, Oando PLC
- Temitayo Adegoke, chief legal officer and company secretary, Sterling Bank
- Moderated by Similoluwa Oyelude, Partner, G.Elias
3.40pm – 4.00pm Coffee Break
4.00pm – 4.50pm Navigating the ESG Landscape
This session will look at the increasing need for general counsel to tackle ESG and sustainability as part of their role. The political ESG landscape has meant it has become an ever important part of a firms’ business model. This panel will discuss how to navigate the current issues, and prepare for the future.
- Akeem Adekunbi, senior legal manager, BUA Group
- Mayowa Arokodare, senior legal counsel, HR & Regulatory, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company
- Irene Robinson-Ayanwale, FCAI, FCMR, general counsel and divisional head business support services, Nigerian Exchange Limited
- Enobong Shittu, senior associate, Olajide Oyewole LLP (A member of DLA Piper Africa)
4.50pm-5.00pm Closing Remarks
5.00pm – 6.15pm Networking Drinks
Speakers
Prof. Joseph Nnanna, Chief economist, Development Bank of Nigeria
Prof. Joseph Nnanna serves as the Chief Economist of the Development Bank of Nigeria PLC. In this capacity he leads the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation and Sustainability arm of the Bank. A seasoned professional with numerous years of experience in the U.S. mortgage, banking, manufacturing, and telecommunication industry serving in managerial roles before joining academia.
Prior to joining DBN, Joseph was a tenured Professor of Business and Economics in Oklahoma State. He has published extensively in international peer reviewed high impact journals. His scholarly works have been published in journals such as Economic Analysis and Policy, Journal of Public Affairs, International Journal of Public Administration, Politics and Policy, Foreign Trade Review, The CBN Bullion, The International Trade Journal,Macroeconomics and Finance in Emerging Market Economies, The Journal of Chinese Economics and Foreign Trade Studies to name a few. Furthermore, he publishes an op-ed piece every quarter in Business Day newspaper. He is also an editorial board member for the society for corporate governance of Nigeria and a member of the African Continental free trade agreement (ACFTA) National Action Committee for Nigeria.
In 2020, Prof. Nnanna contributed a book chapter in the European Investment Banks publication entitled “Banking in Africa: Financing transformation amid uncertainty with fellow economists in the (EIB) and in 2021, published a book entitled “Banking in Nigeria: Financing During Turbulent times” Most recently for his work and accomplishments in the banking industry in Nigeria, he was inducted in the 2022 class as a senior member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.
Prof. Nnanna lends his time to universities where he teaches post graduate master classes to provide new insights on contemporary issues in business and economics. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and MBA degrees in accounting, a master’s degree in economics and a Doctorate degree in Business and Economics from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Florida Metropolitan University, The University of Oklahoma and Argosy University respectively. He has also taken executive courses at Rice University, London School of Economics and Politics and the University of Oxford. He is a member of the Nigerian Economic Society and the American Economic Association.
Mayowa Arokodare, Senior legal counsel/team lead, commercial, at NBC Limited
Mayowa Arokodare is currently Senior Legal Counsel/Team Lead, Commercial at Nigeria Bottling Company Limited (“NBC”, a member of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company). Prior to his appointment to this role in January 2023, he worked as Senior Legal Counsel/Team Lead, Corporate, Regulatory & HR at NBC.
Mayowa has gathered considerable multi-dimensional legal experience, spread amongst tier 1 law firms in Nigeria. He began his sojourn in legal practice with the reputable law firm of Kola Awodein & Co., and later with Paul Usoro & Co. where he gained first class experiences as an astute commercial litigator. In his quest for balance between his commercial litigation experience and corporate/commercial law practice, Mayowa later worked with the leading law firms of Banwo & Ighodalo and Detail Commercial Solicitors, where he acquired top-of-the-range business/corporate/commercial law experience.
Mayowa has advised on several intricate and landmark finance, corporate and commercial transactions and has provided advisory to local, international, and cross-border clients on compliance aspects of Nigerian employment law. Regarding M&A and Corporate Restructuring transactions, Mayowa while in previous employment was part of the legal team that advised a U.K. oil and gas company listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in connection with the acquisition of the oil and gas assets of an international oil and gas conglomerate. In recognition of the outstanding work on behalf of the acquirer, the transaction won the IFLR Restructuring Deal of the Year Award at the IFLR Africa Awards 2020, held in October 2020.
Akeem Adekunbi, Senior legal manager, BUA Group
Akeem Adekunbi is an energy law professional with considerable experience in the oil and gas sector. He is currently a senior legal manager in the BUA Group. He obtained LLB (Hons) degree from the prestigious University of Ibadan in 2009 and was called to the Bar in 2011 as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Akeem was a graduate of Accounting before studying law.
He started his career with the law firm of Layonu and Co immediately after law school, and thereafter joined Conoil Producing Limited in 2013 as a legal officer and later promoted to senior legal officer. The value-driven legal practitioner joined BUA Group as a Senior Legal Manager in 2021 handling the Group’s oil and gas portfolios among other tasks.
Among other corporate cum legal successes, Akeem served as the Secretary to the joint NNPC-NAPIMS/Conoil-CONOG Committee that negotiated all contracts for OML 150 & OML 153. He led the legal team on the Project Star for the successful bid of Chevron’s 40% interest in OML 86 and OML 88. He successfully negotiated, reviewed, and closed out a multimillion-dollar drilling services contract for Rig Monarch with Depthwize Nigeria Limited for well operations in Anim Field. He successfully negotiated, reviewed, and closed out a rig farm-in Agreement among Oriental Energy Resources Limited, Belbop Nigeria Limited, Adriactic 1 Limited, and Shelf Drilling Limited for drilling services for well operations in Toju-Ejanla, offshore Ondo State, Nigeria
Akeem Adekunbi is green energy enthusiast and his legal experience spans over a decade in general legal practice, commercial contracts, corporate transactions, compliance management, litigation portfolio management and dispute resolution.
Irene Robinson-Ayanwale, FCAI, FCMR, General counsel and divisional head business support services, Nigerian Exchange Limited
Irene Robinson-Ayanwale is an accomplished legal practitioner with twenty years’ experience. Her expertise spans numerous areas including capital market, regulation, administrative proceedings, international trade, intra-African trade, international relations, corporate, commercial, intellectual property, technology, labour, banking, telecommunication, oil & gas, aviation, constitutional matters and ESG.
She is currently the Divisional Head Business Support Services/General Counsel of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
She is a Fellow of the Institute of Capital Market Registrars and Institute of Corporate Administrators. She represents Nigerian Exchange Limited on the Board of Trustees of the Investor Protection Fund of Nigerian Exchange Limited and the Board of UN Global Network Nigeria Network.
In 2022 she was selected by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) as one of the twenty-one (21) Women Leaders of 2022, and named General Counsel of the Year at the 2022 Esq Nigerian Legal Awards.
Enobong Shittu, Senior associate, Olajide Oyewole LLP (A member of DLA Piper Africa)
Enobong leads the firm’s Governance & Compliance Team. She is a Sustainability Leadership Specialist with a specialised focus on advising boards on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters. She also brings to the team over a decade’s worth of experience in Corporate Governance, Board Advisory Services, Regulatory Compliance Management, Corporate re-organisations, and Company Secretaryship.
Enobong has an extensive and proven wealth of experience in the ESG space and is responsible for overseeing a large portfolio of clients operating in various sectors, reviewing the environmental and social initiatives of various companies, and conducting comprehensive sector-specific corporate governance and sustainability maturity assessments for clients routinely.
As a solution-oriented adviser, Enobong, has a strong commitment to contributing to the development of ESG Law in Africa and is a respected thought leader with publications and articles to her credit. She plays a pivotal role in supporting boards and their management teams to address sustainability challenges and to achieve their ESG objectives. Before joining DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria, Enobong was a Lead Consultant at DCSL Corporate Services Ltd setting standards in corporate governance.
Enobong is a qualified Barrister and Solicitor in Nigeria and holds a Bachelors from the University of Calabar. She sits on the Corporate Governance and Compliance Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Section of Business Law. She has received extensive training in Sustainability Governance, and Environmental and Social Management systems from the World Bank Group Academy, Corporate Finance Institute and GRI Africa, as well as a wide range of professional certifications.
She volunteers at the United Nations Knowledge Gateway for Women Economic Empowerment.
Uche Val Obi SAN, Founding principal and managing partner, Alliance Law Firm
Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is the founding Principal and Managing Partner of Alliance Law Firm with over 30 years’ cognate practice experience. He is deeply versatile and combines commercial advisory with formal training in law and business management. His wide-ranging experience is constantly brought to bear in the resolution of clients’ issues. His listening skills, professional calmness, forensic and risk-based management approach largely account for his admirable reputation of simplifying and proffering solutions to complex issues thereby adding value professionally.
He has served on a number of ministerial and regulatory committees and as a resource person to the CBN’s Financial System Strategy (FSS) 2020 Directorate. He was the co-lead at the legal sub-group comprising the Nigerian Capital Market Lawyers and representatives of the Law Society of England and Wales, that worked under the Emerging Capital Market Task Force Initiative (ECMTI) which is a collaboration of the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Nigerian Capital Market stakeholders to facilitate cross-border capital market transactions between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
Uche is a commercial transaction solicitor, litigator and arbitrator in the areas of: Banking & Finance, Capital Market, Energy, Oil & Gas, Mergers Acquisition, Insolvency and Receivership, Telecom, Intellectual Property, Fintech, Shipping, Maritime & Aviation, Real Estate & Infrastructure, Projects, International Trade, Corporate Commercial, Legal Audit & Due Diligence, Corporate Governance & Doing Business Advisory, and has advised on and litigated a number of notable domestic and international Transactions.
Fidelis Adewole, Partner, G.Elias
Fidelis Adewole is a Partner with G. Elias, a leading business law firm in Nigeria. Fidelis has over 16 years’ experience and has advised local and multinational entities on major transactions. His expertise covers the fields of mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution, insolvency and restructuring and taxation. Fidelis has been ranked by international law directories such as the International Financial Law Review and Legal 500. Fidelis is a Notary Public and a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrator. Fidelis is also an Associate of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers.
Okechukwu Okoro, Partner, G.Elias
Okechukwu Okoro is a Partner at G. Elias. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Ebonyi State University and a Master of Laws degree from Bayero University, Kano. Okechukwu is recognized and ranked in the leading international directories of lawyers including the IFLR and Legal 500. He has led various teams in the negotiation of major transactions in the energy sector, especially financing transactions, renewable energy projects and regulatory matters. He also advises regularly on employment law related issues.
Ayotola Jagun, Chief compliance officer and company secretary, Oando PLC
Ayotola Jagun is the current Chief Compliance Officer and Company Secretary of Oando PLC. An experienced lawyer with 30 years of experience at the Nigerian Bar and a specialist in Corporate Law, Compliance, Corporate Governance, Sustainability, Anti-bribery & Corruption, Ethics, Investigations, Due diligence and Risk Management, Ayotola has spent most of her professional career working across various jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, Canada, Bermuda and Nigeria, managing cross-border corporate transactions, acquisitions and restructurings across several jurisdictions.
Prior to joining Oando, she worked as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Capital G Limited, a financial services Group based in Bermuda. She has worked with other notable companies including Citigroup, Bermuda; Akzo Nobel Plc, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Sara Lee (now Kohlberg & Co.) in the United Kingdom.
She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1992 and in 2004, obtained an M.Sc. in Corporate Governance & Ethics from the University of London. She is a dual-qualified Barrister of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. She is a Fellow of the Institute of the Chartered Governance Institute, UK and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors Nigeria.
Temitayo Adegoke, Chief legal officer and company secretary, Sterling Bank
Temitayo is a seasoned and strategically innovative Legal Practitioner with over 20 years’ experience as an in-house counsel and in legal practice. She became Sterling Bank’s Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary in 2019 and has in that capacity pioneered unique practices, developed agile teams, and improved efficiencies to support business growth and continuity. As a leader with a cross-functional mindset, she leads diverse teams to deliver strategic goals and results. At Sterling Bank Plc, she currently serves as the Chairperson of the Bank’s Operational Risk Management Committee and provides executive support to the SterlingOne Foundation – a vehicle for positive social impact across critical sectors in the economy and is responsible for the operational governance of the entity.
She mentors and advocates for growing female colleagues through the Sterling Bloom Network as well as the Sterling Women Development Program which prepares exceptional female talents for leadership positions within the Bank.
Dr. Bharat Soni, Chief information security officer, GTBank
Seasoned professional having over 24 years of rich experience in Information Security Risk Practices, Data Privacy, GRC and Compliances. Demonstrated abilities in developing frameworks for Information Security, GRC, Data Privacy, BCP, Risk Assessments and successful implementations of the frameworks. Strong acumen in developing business driven cost effective, strategic strategies, program management, policy frameworks building and motivating high performance teams. As a recognized public speaker for many global conferences and events, Bharat has covered different domains and topics related to Information and Cybersecurity. Recognized as Chief Data Officer Ambassador by MIT USA for his contribution towards Data Privacy Issues. An active Rotarian and Chieftaincy titled from Ondo state, Dr. Bharat is involved in many activities by giving back to society and follower of the “Service above Self” motto. Working experience includes Media House, Software, IT Consulting, and Banking
Oluwatoyin Araromi, Head compliance & ethics, MTN Nigeria
With over 20 years’ experience across the Corporate Governance, Ethics, Compliance and Legal functions, Toyin Araromi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; a Barrister at Law (B.L) degree from the Nigerian Law School and is an associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators of the United Kingdom. She is a Certified Ethics Officer from the Ethics Institute of South Africa, a Certified Compliance Officer from the American Academy of Financial Management. She has a Compliance and Ethics Practitioner International Certification from the Compliance Certification Board USA. She has worked in the compliance functions of both local and multinational companies in various capacities. She is currently the Senior Manager, Compliance & Ethics for MTN Communications Nigeria Plc . In addition to her role, she was appointed the Ag. Data Protection Officer in December 2019.
Abisola Epoyun, Data privacy compliance manager, Flutterwave
Abisola “Abby” Epoyun is the Data Privacy Compliance Manager at Flutterwave. She is focused on overseeing and implementing the overall Flutterwave data privacy program and strategy. Prior to this role, she was the Senior Legal Officer at Flutterwave and was responsible for contract reviews and negotiations, intellectual property, statutory and regulatory compliance, advisory and implementation of the company’s policies amongst other legal functions. Previously, a dispute resolution attorney, Abby has years of experience, spanning from commercial litigation to regulatory compliance, project management and data privacy. She holds an LLB degree from the Lagos State University and a B.L from the Nigerian Law School. She is also a Certified Data Protection Supervisor. In her free time, Abby enjoys cycling, zumba and singing.
Similoluwa Oyelude, Partner, G.Elias
Similoluwa Oyelude is a Partner in the firm. Her practice focuses on Intellectual Property, and she specialises in IP prosecution and enforcement. Her practice includes advising on registrations of IP rights and IP contentious work for clients, advising on IP infringement cases and unfair competition cases.
Similoluwa is advising clients in wide variety of industries including leading finance institutions, multinational corporations, regulators, and corporates (domestic and foreign) telecommunications, technology, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, commodities services, retail and fast-moving consumer goods
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