Legal team size: Group legal team has 9 team members, with 2 of them being my direct reports (i.e., Group Transaction Counsels)

Looking forward, what trends do you foresee in the legal landscape over the next 5–10 years that companies should prepare for?

Over the next 5–10 years, the legal function will become a more integrated, strategic partner within businesses.

Digital transformation is reshaping legal services, with tools like contract automation and AI-driven analytics driving efficiency and changing how we work. This shift requires legal professionals to be tech-savvy while upholding strong governance and judgement.

Evolving workforce expectations demand flexibility, remote collaboration, and meaningful diversity and inclusion to attract and retain talent.

Regulation is also intensifying – e.g. data privacy, ESG, AI ethics, and anti-corruption – requiring proactive, cross-border compliance strategies.

Beyond compliance, legal is increasingly called upon to guide ethical considerations and decision-making, especially in areas like AI governance and sustainability. The legal teams of the future will sit at the intersection of law, business strategy, and ethics, enabling innovation while safeguarding integrity and long-term value.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

Yes, I’ve had the privilege of leading some truly unique and impactful transactions. One standout experience was leading the legal structuring and negotiation of a $400M Eurobond issuance – the first public Eurobond by a Sub-Saharan African financial institution since 2021 – which was listed on the London Stock Exchange and won “Financial Institutions Bond Deal of the Year” in 2025. I’ve also worked on pioneering transactions, like a $350M Sustainability Eurobond and a $75M Basel II-compliant Tier 1 instrument.

Apart from inflow of capital, I’ve had the unique privilege of facilitating financing to landmark transactions. My work has included financing major infrastructure projects such as a stadium and power plant in West Africa, supporting pipeline and infrastructure construction in East Africa, and facilitating commodity trades in West Africa. I have also advised on mining and extractive projects in Southern and Central Africa and helped structure trade and partnerships between global and African brands. Each project has presented unique opportunities and challenges, making the experience both rewarding and dynamic.

Equally meaningful is my role on Ecobank’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, where, as the Equal Opportunity and Representation Pillar Head, I lead efforts to increase women’s representation in leadership. These experiences have allowed me to combine legal expertise with innovation and purpose-driven leadership.

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company?

Our legal team plays a dual role, both shaping and executing the Group’s overall and country-specific business strategy. From the outset, we contribute forward-looking insights during strategy setting, ensuring legal frameworks align with anticipated outcomes. This proactive involvement enables legal to drive – not just support – the Bank’s success.

We lead multi-jurisdictional teams and advise on high-value, impact-driven transactions, playing a critical role in structuring and negotiating deals that create value while managing legal and regulatory complexities. By working in real time with business units, we embed legal guidance into daily decisions and long-term planning, enhancing strategy execution and mitigating risk.

As trusted advisers to Boards, credit committees, and executive leadership across the Group, we ensure regulatory and governance frameworks align with business goals. This integrated approach positions legal as a true business partner, helping to deliver efficient, compliant, and forward-looking outcomes that support the Bank’s growth, resilience, and reputation.

How are you bringing the legal department closer to your business colleagues?

We are focused on demystifying legal and embedding it as a true business partner. This starts with basic legal training for business units to help them understand key concepts and the “why” behind legal advice, empowering earlier engagement and better decision-making.

We emphasise clear communication of expectations and shared accountability, using joint goal setting and deliverables to eliminate the divide between legal and business teams. We succeed or fail together.

Our “deal model” approach promotes structured collaboration, bringing legal, commercial, and operational teams together from start to finish on each transaction.

Embedding legal professionals directly within business units strengthens alignment and enables more proactive, commercially attuned support.

Beyond transactional work, we foster strong relationships through ice-breaking and team-building activities, promoting trust and a human approach.

We also prioritise hiring legal talent with strong business acumen to ensure our team brings both legal expertise and a solution-oriented mindset that supports the broader strategic and commercial context.