Nigeria 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Vice President, Legal & Compliance | ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment
General Counsel/Head, Compliance and Risk, Africa | Junior Achievement Africa
Company secretary, general counsel | Chemical and Allied Products
Aramide Nwokediuko is a seasoned legal professional with over two decades of experience in corporate governance, mergers & acquisitions, and compliance and a proven track record of driving strategic initiatives...
Group company secretary, head of legal and chief compliance officer | CFAO Nigeria
General counsel and company secretary | Nigerian National Petroleum Company
Legal and compliance manager | International Breweries, a part of ABInBev
General counsel | FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company
Group Head Audit, Compliance and Risk | OmniRetail Technology
Company secretary, legal counsel | International Breweries
Dr. (Mrs.) Marian Reginald-Ukwuoma brings nearly two decades of experience in both government and corporate environments. She has a solid background in regulatory affairs, government and stakeholder engagement, corporate governance,...
Cluster head legal, Anglophone West Africa, East and Southern Africa | Novartis
Regional Compliance and Ethics Counsel, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) | Oracle
Company Secretary/Chief Legal Officer | BUA Group
Formerly legal counsel/ company secretary | Heirs Energies
Chief legal and regulatory affairs officer | Airtel Networks
Group head legal and regulatory management | Transnational Corporation
Partner and head of deal advisory, M&A, Tax | KPMG
Head of legal and group company secretary | Caverton Offshore Support Group
Managing Counsel, Global Litigation, Sub-Saharan Africa | The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria
Company secretary and group director, legal services | Flour Mills of Nigeria
Head of legal sub-saharan africa | Reckitt Benckiser
Madonna Okpaleke is a legal and compliance professional with over 20 years of experience advising multinational organizations across Africa and Europe. She currently serves as the Head of Legal for...
General counsel & Company Secretary | Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems
Head of legal Sub-Saharan Africa cluster and company secretary | FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria
Formerly Deputy Chief Legal Officer | Moove
Olutola Bella is a senior corporate counsel with significant experience in corporate finance, banking, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions and corporate and commercial law. He was, until recently, Deputy Chief...
It is with great pleasure that usher in the second edition of the GC Powerlist Nigeria 2025, a celebration of the most influential and innovative in-house lawyers shaping the future of Nigeria’s legal and business landscape.
At The Legal 500, we continue to take immense pride in recognizing outstanding legal talent worldwide, and Nigeria’s legal market continues to impress with its sophistication, and resilience. This edition of the GC Powerlist: Nigeria is the result of months of extensive research, countless interviews, and careful analysis to identify the standout in-house counsel who are driving change, fostering innovation, and providing strategic leadership in their organizations.
We are especially thrilled to have partnered with TNP to bring this research to life. Their deep understanding of the Nigerian legal market has been invaluable in making this publication a reality. The GC Powerlist has become a global benchmark for excellence in in-house legal practice, and its continued success worldwide is a testament to the strength and impact of the legal professionals we celebrate today.
Congratulations to all those featured in this year’s GC Powerlist Nigeria. Your work not only advances your organizations but also elevates the broader legal community. We, at The Legal 500, look forward to witnessing your continued success and contributions to the legal profession.
On 9 June, Legal 500 hosted the launch of the GC Powerlist: Brazil 2026 at the Grand Hyatt in São Paulo, once again in exclusive partnership with Cescon Barrieu – marking the fourth consecutive year of collaboration with our longstanding key partner in the country. This flagship publication celebrates the most accomplished and influential in-house lawyers in Brazil, bringing together leading corporate legal professionals to recognise their outstanding achievements.
The evening opened with remarks from Francisco Castro, Research Editor at Legal 500 and editorial lead behind the publication. He highlighted the exceptional accomplishments of this year’s honourees and shared key insights drawn from the research and submissions process, including the prominence of certain industries, the continued expansion of in-house roles into executive and strategic functions, and the growing diversity, particularly the increasing presence of women in legal leadership positions.
This was followed by remarks from Alexandre Barreto, Managing Partner at Cescon Barrieu, who congratulated the featured general counsel and reflected on the ongoing evolution of Brazil’s legal and business sectors. He underscored the importance of recognising the in-house legal community and noted how the firm continues to adapt to the shifting demands of both clients and the wider business landscape.
With over 100 guests in attendance, including many of Brazil’s leading corporate legal professionals, the event once again demonstrated Legal 500 and Cescon Barrieu’s shared commitment to championing the country’s in-house legal talent.
Legal 500 extends its sincere thanks to Cescon Barrieu for their continued partnership, now in its fourth consecutive year. We are also pleased to announce our return to Brazil later this year with the GC Summit Premier, our new flagship platform for in-house counsel to exchange ideas, strengthen networks, and explore the key legal challenges shaping today’s business environment.
