Archives: Sectors

Our award-winning construction and infrastructure legal teams work closely with our clients to achieve the fruition of projects of life-changing and forward-thinking impact, especially when it comes to Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). We ensure our clients’ success by listening carefully, devising client-specific strategies, and employing our unparalleled industry expertise to accomplish goals in an expedient and cost-effective manner.

As Nigeria becomes increasingly prosperous, coupled with its growing population and economy, the necessity to revamp Nigeria’s infrastructure is at a crucial juncture. Traditionally, the federal, state, and local governments have financed critical projects, such as building roads, bridges, and ports. As economic pressures such as swings in the exchange rate, fluctuations in oil prices, and liquidity limitations deplete fiscal budgets, the private sector has stepped in to create financing solutions to provide the necessary capital required to modernise and develop the country’s infrastructure. PPPs are now a significant key developmental tool in acquiring major public works projects, and project finance is the primary method of achieving funding for these capital projects.

Our award-winning project finance lawyers and PPP legal experts have proudly served at the forefront of numerous landmark project finance transactions and infrastructure projects over the years, including:

• The Lekki-Epe Toll Road Concessioning Project
• Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Concessioning
• Indorama Fertilizer and Methanol Plant
• Cross River State/IFC PPP Hospital, Hotel
• Conference Centre Development
• Many drilling, reserves development, and pipeline construction financings

As a top echelon construction law firm team, we are sought out by the construction industry’s Nigerian and global leading players, as well as by owners, contractors, sponsors, insurers, and lenders. Our hands-on experience and deep industry knowledge are critical to our, and ultimately, our clients’ successes. Our real estate lawyers are experienced in all aspects of construction projects, including initial financing, structuring the deal, and contract negotiations with many players, such as architects, local authorities, and lenders, through completion.

The Nigerian consumer and manufactured goods market boasts a growth trend with enabling factors such as improving oil prices, downward spiralling inflation rates and the nation’s growing population. While Nigeria remains a nascent economic market in this sector especially, the nation holds promise of growing opportunities for local and global businesses in this sector. The economic diversification policies of the government and backward integration initiatives will also result in increased manufacturing in Nigeria.

Our award-winning, cross-disciplinary legal team helps manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), importers and distributors to navigate the corporate and regulatory regime. We offer a full suite of legal services, with our subject matter experts providing comprehensive, practical and industry-specific advice in the following areas:

• Imports, exports, distributors
• Consumer product safety
• Regulatory, compliance and reporting
• Permits and registrations
• Government enforcement and investigations
• Intellectual property licensing and protection
• Litigation and dispute resolution
• Governmental interface
• Privacy and data security
• Employment and labour relations

The energy and natural resources industry is central to Nigeria’s economy. Oil and gas production comprise approximately 35 per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product and about 90 per cent of total exports revenue, according to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies (OPEC). With a rapidly expanding population, Nigeria is also turning to renewable energy to bring power to its urban and rural communities and to diversify its energy sources. The country is investing in electricity, solar power projects and hydropower, as the demand for energy by 2020 will almost double from current levels.

Nigerian and international companies are seeking to capitalise on our rich natural resources and expanding business opportunities. The energy market is constantly evolving, and our experienced, award-winning and full-service team of energy lawyers represent multiple companies and other organisations which explore and develop these resources. Over 35 years of aggregate expertise and experience, ensures that we are well-versed and deeply knowledgeable in the entire breadth of the energy sector, including oil and gas law; power projects and solid minerals — as well as renewable energy.

Our robust understanding of the commercial and regulatory issues in the energy and natural resources industry is unparalleled, and we are a preeminent energy and natural resources law firm in Nigeria. Our expertise in the energy and natural resources area includes:

• Legal framework and environmental
• Litigation, dispute resolution, arbitration, and mediation
• Awards, grants and assets acquisitions (advisory and financing)
• Negotiating and drafting industry commercial agreements
• Regulatory and compliance
• Reserves-based lending
• Structured products and foreign investment advisory services
• Oil and gas tax advisory
• Term and CapEx financing

The banking and finance sectors, as well as the laws that regulate them, are dynamic and evolving globally. Moreover, rapidly expanding technology is shaping the way financial institutions do business, and big banks are adopting nimble and forward-thinking approaches and developing products that sync with the developing digital economy. Our financial lawyers remain at the forefront of banking law, regulatory, policy developments and technology advancements to navigate our financial law clients through rapidly changing terrain to seize new opportunities and achieve strategic goals.

We advise financial institutions, top multi-national companies and investors on the legal ramifications of cutting-edge finance transactions across various industries and provide guidance to Nigerian financial institutions on their day-to-day business operations. With our extensive experience and bespoke legal services, we can devise creative solutions and innovative strategies on challenging and complex transactions.

Our banking lawyers represent major Nigerian and international lending institutions, multi-lateral agencies, developmental financial institutions, banks, insurance companies, leasing companies, investment firms, private equity firms, conglomerates and other types of financial institutions. We represent them in some of the most dynamic and complex deals and at times plain vanilla transactions.

Our comprehensive banking and finance legal services include:

▪ Acquisition finance
▪ Aircraft leasing and financing
▪ Bilateral and syndicated lending
▪ Consumer finance
▪ Derivatives
▪ Fintech
▪ Infrastructure and project finance
▪ Islamic finance
▪ Leveraged finance
▪ Real estate finance
▪ Securitisations
▪ Shipping/vessel financing
▪ Structured trade finance

Our reputation as the legal advisors to the market leaders of the Nigerian insurance industry is unrivalled. Our top Nigerian and international clients are attracted to our experienced insurance practice because of our results-oriented and client-focused approach. Our lawyers provide our clients with a mix of regulatory, tax and legal advice on the insurance industry in Nigeria.

Political and global uncertainties; terrorism; technological advancements; new product developments; economic crises; and increasing regulatory and compliance demands are a few of the factors that stakeholders in the Nigerian insurance sector contend with regularly.

As these factors exacerbate, legal and commercial risk management becomes more important. The combination of our market knowledge and transaction experience makes us the leading Nigerian law firm for clients to rely on for advice on insurance matters.

Our insurance team, comprised of partners with years of industry expertise and experience, regularly advises our insurance clients on several areas, including:

• Corporate restructurings and establishment of new operations
• Public and private mergers and acquisitions
• Equity and Debt Capital Markets
• Dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration and litigation
• Distribution, outsourcing and other commercial agreements
• General corporate advice to insurers and reinsurers
• Insurance and reinsurance policies
• Regulatory investigations

The Nigerian media and entertainment industry has an estimated value of US$4 billion and is growing rapidly, with a significant part of the growth in this sector being led by the private sector. Nollywood, Nigeria’s movie industry, was born in 1992 with a US$12,000 straight-to-video movie and has surpassed Hollywood as the world’s second-largest movie industry, right behind India’s Bollywood. Thanks to creative young Nigerian artists, similar growth is also being seen in the music industry, with Nigerian artists gaining more recognition and winning awards outside the country.

Our sports personalities are equally high profile and have recorded outstanding achievements in various sporting endeavours, most notably in football, gaining international fans. It’s our business to help our Nigerian and international clients who are involved in film production, screenplay, writing, talent hunting, talent management and publishing to realise their creative visions and corporate goals and to protect their valuable assets. Clients seek us out for our experience in this sector.

Our clients are on the leading edge of the media and entertainment industries and our advice in the sector is varied, covering broadcast licensing, regulations, the provision of content, services and technology relied on by clients for the delivery of services and goods, and various commercial arrangements. We have negotiated complex transactions on behalf of companies and investors in the sector.

Our multidisciplinary team of media lawyers provides unrivalled commercial and legal know-how to prominent media, entertainment and communications companies, celebrities, investors and others in Nigeria and worldwide. Aluko & Oyebode’s ability to stay on top is derived from innovative strategies and practical solutions to help our clients thrive and secure their visions in this competitive and highly-pressurised industry.

Nigeria, like all emerging economies, is currently facing several challenges including:

• A growing population
• The need to diversify its economy from one that is predominantly dependent on oil & gas revenues
• Emerging sectors such as agriculture, solid minerals and technology
• Required improvements in education, health care and public infrastructure

Traditionally, the Nigerian government has taken on the financings of critical projects, such as building roads, bridges and ports. But as economic pressures such as swings in the exchange rate; fluctuations in oil prices and liquidity limitations deplete fiscal budgets, the private sector has stepped in to create financing solutions to provide the necessary capital required to modernise and develop the country’s infrastructure. Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) are now a significant key developmental tool in acquiring major public works projects, and project finance is the primary method of achieving funding for these capital projects.

Our award-winning project finance lawyers and PPP legal experts have proudly served at the forefront of numerous landmark project finance transactions and infrastructure projects over the years. Highlights include the Lekki-Epe Toll Road Concessioning Project, Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Concessioning, Indorama Fertilizer and Methanol Plant, Cross River State/IFC PPP Hospital, Hotel, Conference Centre Development and many drilling, reserves development and pipeline construction financings.

When engaging with the public sector, legal requirements and practicalities must be fully vetted above and beyond typical legal and commercial issues from the private sector. Clients may need counsel on both commercial and legal implications of doing business with or procuring to the public sector; guidance on lobbying or electoral compliance; or are facing the daunting process of seeking special dispensation from the government. Traversing this complex and layered system requires experience, diplomacy, creativity, skill and discretion.

Our experienced public sector lawyers include highly regarded practitioners who regularly represent public entities and private companies doing business with the public sector. We understand the complexities and subtleties of public law and politics completely and we are proficient at obtaining judicial review; administrative and legislative resolutions; and creative solutions.

Nigeria’s real estate sector is the fifth-largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product which reflects renewed investor confidence in the economy. As Nigeria’s economy moves away from its oil-based roots, cycles of high and low liquidity (typical of oil-reliant economies) should stabilise. The growing tech sector is creating new real estate investment opportunities, because of current shortages of top facilities, warehouses and data centres.

Real estate property law significantly impacts many critical aspects of business and commercial transactions. For example, developing, constructing, or expanding a new business operation usually involves the acquisition of real estate. Similarly, the merger and acquisition of companies and financial institutions will also likely include real estate transactions. We have a strong clientele of Nigerian and global companies in energy development, such as the mining of oil and gas; power projects; power plant construction projects; solar power projects and thermal power plant projects. These developments also necessitate the acquisition or use of real estate and understanding real estate law.

Nearly any type of company; large or small; Nigerian or global, will have legal real estate issues arising on a frequent basis. We pride ourselves on our deep bench of talented real estate attorneys and banking lawyers. With offices in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Africa, we are uniquely and conveniently located to serve your real estate needs.

We represent private and institutional investors, property owners, developers, and financiers in a broad spectrum of transactions such as:

• Drafting and negotiating real estate contracts and other conveyance documents
• Facilitating real estate development plans
• Perfecting title to real estate
• Structuring the financing of complex real estate transactions, including mortgages
• Representing companies in buying and selling of real estate
• Ensuring regulatory and permit compliance with pertinent laws and authorising bodies
• Executing lease agreements between various entities
• Real estate litigation

Our comprehensive services include noteworthy and landmark matters in the following areas:

• Construction
• Finance
• Hotels and leisure
• Infrastructure
• Project development
• Retail

Nigeria is one of the largest telecommunications markets in Africa, with a strong, multinational presence. The surge in mobile phone use has enhanced the lives of Nigerians and revolutionised the banking industry through the use of mobile banking apps. The sector, however, is adapting to the realities of changing trends, intense competition and regulatory scrutiny, and clients need a firm, hands-on experience of legal counsel in this constantly changing landscape.

Aluko & Oyebode advise leading Nigerian and global participants in the telecommunications sector on all aspects of telecommunications law, including regulatory, licensing issues, joint venture, restructuring, financing and various other commercial arrangements. Our lawyers have been active in this space since the liberalisation of the telecommunications space in 2001 and therefore possess specialised and unique experience in this sector. We are equally active in the development of policies in the telecommunications and technology space. We have experience working with several regulatory authorities in the telecommunications and technology areas.

We counsel Nigerian and international clients on a broad range of legal and regulatory issues, such as:

• procuring requisite licenses for telecommunications operations from the NCC
• regulatory compliance issues in respect of clients’ operations
• joint venture arrangements  and financial structuring in the sector
• regulatory frameworks (permits and consents) for prospective operations
• regulations on software and hardware, licensing issues and approvals
• data protection and privacy
• regulation of online services (goods and services)
• social media platforms
• search engines
• payment platforms
• various commercial arrangements

In 2016, the Firm was named the Telecommunications Team of the Year and the Law Firm of the Year at the ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards.

Sumbo Akintola, who heads the Telecommunications, Media, Entertainment and Technology practice, has been described as a “first class” lawyer and “a notable practitioner” who is “a prominent figure in the Nigerian TMT market and draws praise for her expert advice” in the telecommunications sector by Who’s Who Legal.

Nigeria is the gateway to Africa and the largest market in the region. Opportunities abound in Nigeria’s transportation sector, including transport infrastructure, ports, air transport, rail and roads. Nigeria developed national infrastructure networks with international reach. In our ports, terminal concessions attract private investment on an unprecedented scale. Nigeria’s aviation sector is growing significantly. Investment projects in the rail sector focus on modernisation, upgrades and new railways. Road projects concentrate on connectivity and quality. We proudly represent leading Nigerian and international clients in all aspects of this dynamic and critical industry. Our deep bench of experienced transportation lawyers provides comprehensive legal services to leading international and Nigerian clients.