Team size: 20

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Among several others, our team significantly reduced contingent liabilities arising from Seplat Group’s litigation portfolio by over 50% through aggressive defence strategies and commercially viable resolution; resolved the governance, regulatory, and court challenges raised by minority shareholders – with zero interruption to the business; restored status quo to the board and management levels and terminated over 60% of the court actions within 3 months of their commencement.

We also delivered agreements for strategic operations that sustained profitable oil and gas production and sales from 2022 to date. These strategic operations included the deployment of alternative evacuation routes used to export crude during periods that major export terminals were unavailable.

Finally, our team provided strategic legal direction to ensure Seplat’s compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which included the separation of the company’s gas midstream business from its upstream operations. Seplat’s compliance has been commended by the regulator, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

How do you see the general counsel role evolving in Nigeria over the next five-ten years?

Nigeria’s legal landscape is experiencing rapid growth and complexities, driven by globalisation, technological advancements, and a more dynamic regulatory environment that seeks to elevate Nigeria to global best practice standards. In light of these trends, the general counsel role must adapt and evolve to become a vital stakeholder in an increasingly competitive business environment. To evolve, the general counsel should incorporate technology to optimise service offerings; balance ethics and compliance with driving business growth; and master cross-border transactions.

The evolution of this function in Nigeria presents a unique opportunity to propel the legal landscape towards excellence. It is imperative that stakeholders recognise and embrace the transformative potential of the general counsel role and foster an environment that enables legal professionals to thrive and meaningfully contribute to the evolution of Nigeria.

How much influence do you, as a general counsel, have on the diversity and inclusion policies of your organisation? 

As the legal director and company secretary of a leading energy company in Nigeria, I am honoured to have considerable influence on our organisation’s diversity and inclusion policies. In 2021, I was appointed by the board of directors as a “diversity champion”, and in the same year, I launched Seplat’s first women network – Seplat Women’s Awesome Network (fondly known as SWAN), which fully aligns with the United Nations SDG’s five initiatives. Through my role, I have passionately championed diversity values and partnered with the board and other leaders at Seplat to drive impactful changes in our organisation and broader community.

For instance, Seplat recently appointed its first female managing director of its subsidiary company operating an oil and gas asset in Imo State, and its first female executive director, who will shortly take on the role of chief financial officer. My role in championing inclusivity had led to a remarkable increase to the maternity and paternity leave periods; the creation of a pioneer Creche facility at Seplat’s head office; upgraded facilities in field locations, to ensure equal access and use by female staff; and a first-ever award category sponsored by SWAN to reward strong contributions to diversity and inclusion.

Through SWAN, we collaborate with other professional women networks to deliver impactful programmes. As part of my evolving diversity agenda, I ensure that the Corporate Scorecard and annual employee survey includes indices to measure and assess the organisation’s performance on diversity, in line with the UN’s SDGs.

How does the in-house legal function contribute to the overall dispute resolution strategy of the organisation? 

The in-house legal function must own and be the instrumental force that shapes the overall dispute resolution strategy of the organisation.

In so doing, it should embrace a proactive and multifaceted approach that incorporates robust risk management and all facets of dispute resolution – mediation, negotiation, arbitration, and litigation – as relevant to each dispute. The outlook of the legal function should include developing subject-matter expertise and legal strategy; serving as a bridge to all stakeholders; and prioritising continuous improvement.