About

As one of Africa’s leading fertiliser and agro-chemicals manufacturers and one of the only producers of urea fertiliser in Africa, Lagos-based Notore Chemical Industries is playing a big part in the continent’s ongoing agricultural revolution, helping raise productivity and reduce the need for labour-intensive farming. The company’s legal affairs are handled by a team of three lawyers, led by group general counsel Dapo Otunla.

Consistent with the growing tendency for companies to resource legal work internally in Nigeria, Notore Chemical Industries’ legal team now faces a growing workload and has streamlined its approach to managing disputes and commercial matters, allowing the bulk of this activity be handled entirely in-house. The team has also delivered training courses to raise awareness of legal matters within the company and to highlight the potential legal implications of its activities.

Reviewing the team’s contribution over recent months, three matters standout in particular. On the contentious side, the team played a lead role in settling a suit involving a large part of the company’s real estate holding and successfully had a high-value claim struck from court. The team also played a lead role in negotiating a long term gas purchase and sale agreement with Seven Energy.

Though handling such a broad range of affairs with a small team can be a challenge, Otunla says the opportunity to contribute to the growth of both the company and the wider Nigerian economy helps motivate the lawyers. ‘The industry sector that we operate in is a fascinating one where we are directly impacting the lives and livelihood of a section of the Nigerian populace. This is a significant incentive for the work we do’.