Nigeria: Regulatory Communications
The past year has seen the privatisation of Nigeria’s national fixed line provider, Nitel, and the introduction of Africa’s first LTE network in Lagos. Rapid growth in the number of internet users coupled with increasingly active foreign investment are fuelling healthy levels of expansion in the country’s telecoms sector. We recognise 12 lawyers from eight different firms who lead the field in this area.
Aluko & Oyebode has an “excellent reputation” in Nigerian communications, having played an active role in the development of the country’s telecommunications policy in 1999. Managing partner Gbenga Oyebode MFR heads the firm’s corporate practice and is renowned for negotiation of commercial agreements as well as his “top flight” disputes practice. The “highly skilled” Kofo Dosekun is noted for her work in foreign investment and regulatory compliance matters. Sumbo Akintola is another “great name” and sources recommended her infrastructure finance work.
Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie is equally well recognised in this discipline. Managing partner Myma Belo-Osagie leads the firm’s telecommunications team and helped to draft the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, and sources hold her “first rate” communications regulatory, infrastructure and transactional work in “very high regard”. Jumoke Lambo is co-head of the telecoms team and brings “superb” foreign investment, regulatory compliance and corporate expertise to the table in communications matters. Finance specialist Dan Agbor completes the firm’s impressive showing in this section.
Paul Usoro SAN represents his own firm in this chapter and earns national recognition for his “exceptional” transactional and regulatory expertise, having acted as an advisor to the Nigerian Communications Commission since assisting in the drafting of the NCA in 2003.
The “terrific” Olufemi Tesilim Sunmonu leads Femi Sunmonu & Associates and focuses his practice on telecommunications matters, encompassing foreign investment, government liaison and joint venture expertise.
Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors’ managing partner Anthony Idigbe SAN ranks highly in our research for his “high quality” communications disputes work.
Kunle Ajagbe from Perchstone & Graeys is well known for his TMT work and handled a major restructuring and network expansion project on behalf of a large GSM operator.
Jide Adesanya joined Rockville & Co from Olaniwun and Ajayi LP in 2010, and is “very well respected” in the marketplace for his work on behalf of Sky Telecoms, VGC Communications and Virgin Nigeria.
Solola & Akpana fields Chimeka Damon Garricks, whose practice focuses on commercial and investment-related matters in the telecoms sector.