By Mustapha Babalola Toheeb.

Happy new month ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to another monthly edition of Law History Series which is aimed at promoting and unearthing the history, unknown facts and celebrating the heroes of our beloved legal profession.

Now, there is this perception held by the public and by some law students that if you are not into litigation, then you’re not a good lawyer but the story of  our subject of discussion today is meant to dispel that perception and also inspire potential lawyers to consider other aspect of the legal practice and not necessarily litigation.

On this edition, we will be discussing about the biography of a visionary man, an excellent solicitor whose remarkable works over the years has redefined the legal sector particularly the corporate and financial aspect. He is no person other than Gbenga Oyebode MFR, the co-founder of the reputable Nigerian law firm, Aluko and Oyebode. Gbenga is perhaps Nigeria’s richest lawyer, described as a proper businessman and astute deal maker, he is the type of lawyer every Nigerian lawyer aspires to become.

Born on the 30 of March 1959, he is one of the founding partners and Chairman, Management Board of Aluko & Oyebode, a full service commercial law firm in Nigeria. An alumnus of Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti, he obtained his first degree from University of Ife now known as Obafemi Awolowo University in 1979 and was admitted into the Nigerian bar as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1980. He went further to bag a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982. He is also a member of the New York State Bar.

Gbanga started his career at an American law firm White & Case before moving to Gulf Oil now know as Chevron in Houston Texas. In 1992, he formed a partnership with Bamidele Aluko, Odein Ajumogobia and C.N Okeke to practice law in Nigeria. In 1993, he and Aluko broke out from the partnership and started Aluko & Oyebode which runs till date. His practice areas include oil and gas and power projects, foreign investment and privatization, telecommunications, project finance and aviation.

Gbenga is a highly rated lawyer with vast knowledge and experience in business and law. According to the International Financial Law Review IFLR 1000 (the guide to the World’s leading Financial Law Firm) he is one of Nigeria’s most prominent lawyers. Chambers Global another legal guide, also regards him as a consummate deal maker who has received pundits from clients and peer alike for his corporate expertise. This is clearly evident in the several accolades and awards he has received both individually and through his law firm. Currently, in addition to his position as Chairman of Aluko & Oyebode, he sits on the board of several companies in various capacities including Nestle Nigeria Plc, Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc as Chairman, Asset Management Group Ltd as chairman, Combined Industrial Agro Consultants Ltd as Chairman, Timbuktu Media Ltd as chairman, Socfinaf S.A as director, Crusader Nigeria Plc as director, MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd as director. He is also on the Africa Advisory Committee of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

HIGH PROFILE TRANSACTIONS HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN.

Some of the high-profile transactions he has been involved in include advising on the Brass LNG Project, the sale by Exxon Mobil Dil Corporation of its 60 per cent equity stake in Mobil Dil Nigeria Plc to NIPCO Plc and the US$360 million Lekki Concession Infrastructure Project for the construction of toll roads and bridges in Lagos State which is the first major PPP initiative in Nigeria. He also advised on the US$1.25 billion financing of the Exxon Mobil Natural Gas Liquid II Project, the US$1.06 billion financing of trains four and five of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Plant Expansion Project and the development, financing and implementation of the first Independent Power Plant project in Nigeria.

Gbenga is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the International Bar Association. He is a past chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law.

Gbenga who was bestowed the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic in 2001 and the Belgian Royal Honour of Knight of the Order of Leopold is happily married to Aisha Mohammed-Oyebode, the daughter of late General Murtala Mohammed and they are blessed with children.

Recently, I came across an interview conducted by Gbenga Oyebode MFR where he mentioned that he had a vision to change the way law firms are being managed in Nigeria as majority of law firm in the nineties are being run like family business which has its own disadvantages. So with the intention of making a change,he went abroad for his masters and also to work with a US law firm which gave him exposure on how law firms are being run in developed countries. Equipped with this exposure, he co-founded a firm called Aluko & Oyebode which was being run like an institution rather than the traditional or the old way. Currently, the firm he co- founded is now arguably one of the best in the continent.

The lessons learnt here is that hard work, dedication, integrity, determination are very pivotal to one’s success in life and I urge everyone to hold fast to this principles as it will go a long way in determining one’s success.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mustapha Babalola Toheeb is a Pupil of Law, a content creator, a blogger & a student of Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano. He is the Founder of Lex Updates Publications, and the Zonal Director, Directorate of Programs, Policies and Projects, North West Zone, Law Students Association of Nigeria.

He is interested in advocacy, academic writing, legal writing/history, activism and a  plethora of positivism. To reach him,email:toheebmustapha15@gmail.com or contact/whatsapp:08106244073.

REFERENCE:

  1. Wikipedia
  2. Profile: Gbenga Oyebode, the Nigerian multi millionaire lawyer by Nairametrics
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