Biography: Capital Markets

Asue Ighodalo is founding and managing partner of Banwo & Ighodalo, a multidisciplinary firm with offices in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria; which provides first-class legal advice on numerous aspects of corporate and commercial Nigerian law. He obtained his first degree in economics from the University of Ibadan, a law degree from the London School of Economics; and was admitted into the Nigerian Bar in July 1985.

His core areas of practice are corporate finance, securities and capital markets, project finance, energy & natural resources, mergers & acquisitions and banking & securitisation.

Asue is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association (section on energy and natural resources law), Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (board member and chairman, NES #10 planning committee), commercial law and taxation committee of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chartered Institute of Taxation, antitrust and competition committee established by the federal government (2002 to 2004), the policy and monitoring committee of the National Council on Privatisation, Edo state economic strategy team and the committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Finance in 2010, to review the Investments and Securities Act 2007 (vice-chairman).

Asue advised the federal government of Nigeria in its debut US$500 million notes due 2021. This was Nigeria's first ever issuance of bonds on the international capital market, and as Nigerian counsel to the government, Asue, together with his team advised on several complex and sometimes, novel statutory, regulatory, administrative and structural challenges. He also advised joint bookrunners (Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and BNP Paribas) and the co-manager (Global Hunters Securities) in connection with Afren Plc's US$500 million aggregate principal amount of 11.5% senior secured notes due 2016.

Leading the team, Asue advised the Kwara state government N30 billion debt securities programme through which the state is authorised to issue debt securities in tranches. The first tranche raised about N17 billion. He also advised Edo state government in connection with its N25 billion bond issuance transaction and acted as solicitors to trustees in the Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc N70 billion debt issuance programme. The first tranche comprised N37.5 billion 12% fixed rate senior unsecured bonds. Asue also recently acted in connection with bond issuances by the Bayelsa state government and United Bank for Africa plc.

In the past five years, Asue has advised as lead solicitor in a substantial number of the major capital market transactions that have been concluded in Nigeria.

Asue sits on the boards of public and private companies and NGOs, including the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Dangote Flour Mills Plc, FATE Foundation (an NGO committed to the development of entrepreneurial skills in Nigeria), Lagos State Lottery Board, Christopher Kolade Foundation, Main Street Technologies Limited (sponsor of a subsea cable telecoms project), Piling Engineering Limited and Nigerian Leadership Initiative (associated with the Aspen Institute).

He has presented several papers on capital markets issues both within and outside Nigeria, and also authored many articles in leading law publications. He frequently lectures on corporate governance, directors' duties and responsibilities, and entrepreneurship at the Institute of Directors, Lagos Business School and FATE Foundation entrepreneurial training sessions, respectively.

His hobbies include playing golf, watching football, reading, travelling and participating in political discourse. He is married and blessed with a daughter.

Biography: Oil and Gas

Asue Ighodalo is founding and managing partner of Banwo & Ighodalo, a multidisciplinary firm with offices in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria; which provides first-class legal advice on numerous aspects of corporate and commercial Nigerian law. He obtained his first degree in economics from the University of Ibadan, a law degree from the London School of Economics; and was admitted into the Nigerian Bar in July 1985.

His core areas of practice are corporate finance, energy & natural resources, project finance, securities and capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and banking & securitisation.

Asue is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association (section on energy and natural resources law), Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (board member and chairman, NES #10 planning committee), commercial law and taxation committee of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chartered Institute of Taxation, antitrust and competition committee established by the federal government (2002 to 2004), the policy and monitoring committee of the National Council on Privatisation, Edo state economic strategy team and the committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Finance in 2010, to review the Investments and Securities Act 2007 (vice-chairman).

Asue has specialist experience in oil and gas, among other practice areas. Recent transactions in which he has been involved are set out below.

He is presently advising the oil producers' trade section of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (OPTS), in connection with a comprehensive review and 'gap analysis' of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) currently before the National Assembly, the bill seeks to overhaul the entire legal and regulatory regime for the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Asue also provides legal and regulatory advice to several upstream international oil majors in connection with several operational issues arising from the proposed PIB.

He advises Brass LNG Limited, the vehicle set up by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and three international oil companies for the implementation of the multi-billion dollar Brass LNG project. He is presently advising oil & gas companies, financial services providers, foreign law firms and other stakeholders on structuring their projects and businesses in order to ensure compliance with the recently enacted Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.

Asue also recently advised international oil majors in the negotiation of 'carry' arrangements for the funding of E&P joint ventures being undertaken with the Nigerian government and other IOCs. He also provides legal and regulatory advice and support on ongoing basis to Nigerian Agip Oil Company, Total E&P Nigeria Limited and Chevron Nigeria Limited.

Asue sits on the boards of public and private companies and NGOs, including the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Dangote Flour Mills Plc, FATE Foundation (an NGO committed to the development of entrepreneurial skills in Nigeria), Lagos State Lottery Board, Christopher Kolade Foundation, Main Street Technologies Limited (sponsor of a subsea cable telecoms project), Piling Engineering Limited and Nigerian Leadership Initiative (associated with the Aspen Institute). Asue has presented several papers and delivered presentation on energy (oil & gas and power) issues.

His hobbies include playing golf, watching football, reading, travelling and participating in political discourse. He is married and blessed with a daughter.

Biography: Mergers and Acquisitions

Asue Ighodalo is founding and managing partner of Banwo & Ighodalo (B&I), a multidisciplinary firm with offices in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria; which provides first-class legal advice on numerous aspects of corporate and commercial Nigerian law. He obtained his first degree in economics from the University of Ibadan, a law degree from the London School of Economics; and was admitted into the Nigerian Bar in July 1985.

His core areas of practice are corporate finance, project finance, securities and capital markets, energy & natural resources, mergers & acquisitions and banking & securitisation.

Asue is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association (section on energy and natural resources law), Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (board member and chairman, NES #10 planning committee), commercial law and taxation committee of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chartered Institute of Taxation, antitrust and competition committee established by the federal government (2002 to 2004), the policy and monitoring committee of the National Council on Privatisation, Edo state economic strategy team and the committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Finance in 2010, to review the Investments and Securities Act 2007 (vice-chairman).

Asue has specialist experience in M&A as well as in other practice areas. In recognition of his mergers & acquisition pedigree, B&I was invited by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) into the technical committee set up in 2004 to assess the impact of the N25 billion banking sector recapitalisation directive on the Nigerian economy.

Asue and his team are actively involved in the ongoing industry-wide recapitalisation exercise in the Nigerian banking sector, which is expected to result in mergers of a number of ailing banks with healthier local and foreign banks. In this connection, the firm conducted legal due diligence on 7 out of the 10 ailing banks and are now advising 3 leading Nigerian banks and a venture capital outfit bidding to acquire 4 of the ailing banks.

Recently, he advised Benue Cement Company Plc (BCC) in connection with its merger with Dangote Cement Plc (DCP), to create the largest cement company in Nigeria and one of the largest in Africa (at the time of the deal, the largest Nigerian company by market capitalisation, valued at N2.13 trillion, and contributing 25% of the market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange).

He also advised Heineken International BV in its acquisition of majority shareholding in Consolidated Breweries in separate transactions in 1999, 2000 and 2005 and recently advised Heineken International BV on its Euro 300,000,000 acquisition of five breweries in Nigeria.

Asue sits on the boards of public and private companies and NGOs including the Christopher Kolade Foundation, Dangote Flour Mills Plc, FATE Foundation (an NGO committed to the development of entrepreneurial skills in Nigeria), Main Street Technologies Limited (sponsor of the Main One cable project), the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Piling Engineering Company, Nigerian Leadership Initiative (associated with the Aspen Institute), Union Bank UK Plc and University of Ibadan advancement board.

He has authored many articles in leading law publications and also delivered several presentations on diverse subjects.

His hobbies include playing golf, watching football, reading, travelling and participating in political discourse. He is married and blessed with a daughter.

Biography: Project Finance

Asue Ighodalo is founding and managing partner of Banwo & Ighodalo, a multidisciplinary firm with offices in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria; which provides first-class legal advice on numerous aspects of corporate and commercial Nigerian law. He obtained his first degree in economics from the University of Ibadan, a law degree from the London School of Economics; and was admitted into the Nigerian Bar in July 1985.

His core areas of practice are corporate finance, project finance, securities and capital markets, energy and natural resources, mergers and acquisitions and banking and securitisation.

Asue is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association (section on energy and natural resources law), Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (board member and chairman, NES #10 planning committee), commercial law and taxation committee of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chartered Institute of Taxation, antitrust and competition committee established by the Federal Government (2002 to 2004), the policy and monitoring committee of the National Council on Privatisation, Edo State Economic Strategy Team and the committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Finance in 2010, to review the Investments and Securities Act 2007 (vice chairman).

He has extensive capital market, project finance, corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisition, and banking experience. A recent major transaction involved advising Main One Cable Company Limited in connection with the structuring and financing of the US$240 million Main One fibre-optic submarine cable system, which connects Nigeria, Ghana and other countries of the west coast of Africa with Europe. This transaction was awarded the Euromoney Project Finance magazine's 2009 African Communication Deal of the Year. He also advised Main One on the refinancing of a US$105 million credit facility advanced by a syndicate of commercial banks.

Asue also advises Brass LNG Limited, the vehicle set up by the NNPC and three international oil majors for the implementation of the Brass LNG project. He advised the Persianas Group in connection with the US$40 million project for the development and operation of 'The Palms' shopping mall in Lagos and is currently advising Persianas on the construction of, and the raising of US$100 million to fund similar shopping malls in other Nigerian cities. He also advised on the conceptualisation of the Abuja Technology Village, a 55 billion naira technology park to be established within a free trade zone in Abuja and on the legal aspects of the National Identity Card project, for the operation and management of national identity registration centres throughout Nigeria and the issuance of national identity cards.

Together with his partners they have built a first-class Nigerian corporate, commercial and energy law firm.

Asue sits on the boards of public and private companies and NGOs including the Christopher Kolade Foundation, Dangote Flour Mills Plc, FATE Foundation (an NGO committed to the development of entrepreneurial skills in Nigeria), Main Street Technologies Limited (sponsor of the Main One cable project), the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Piling Engineering Company, Nigerian Leadership Initiative (associated with the Aspen Institute), Union Bank UK Plc and University of Ibadan advancement board.

He has authored many articles in leading law publications and also delivered several presentations on diverse subjects.

His hobbies include playing golf, watching football, reading, travelling and participating in political discourse. He is married and blessed with a daughter.