Professor Oluwole Akanle:
Professor Akanle’s life in the past 31 years has been one of devotion to three areas of endeavour and experience which combine to stand him in good stead to render effective and efficient value-added service to clients.
1.In the past 22 years, he has been actively involved as an International Legal Consultant and Resource Person.
2.15 years as a Corporate Lawyer and consultant, combined with active involvement in continuing Professional Education.
3.He spent 16 years as a full time Law Teacher and Researcher.
In addition to the above summary of his professional and vocational biography, He was between 1992 and 1993, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Director-General of the Federal Ministry of Justice.
1.0 CONSULTANT AND RESOURCE PERSON
As Consultant and Resource Person, he has in the past 22 years been involved in innumerable local and international transactions and activities as detailed below:
(a)…in the Nigerian public and private sector:
He has been actively involved in the preparation and drafting of important commercial and investment legislation in Nigeria, principal among which are:
- PensionReformAct 2004. He served as Consultant to the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on Pension Reform. At various times, he consulted on aspects pension reform for many organisations such as Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, Shell Trusties Limited Michellin Nigeria plc, Bayelsa State’s Office of Pension Administrator, etc.
- InvestmentsandSecurities Bill 2006
- InvestmentsandSecurities Tribunal Rules.
- PrivatizationandCommercialisation Decree as well as its successor, the Bureau of Public Enterprises Act 1988.
- The CompaniesandAllied Matters Act, 1990. Also served as the co-ordinator for the Federal Ministry of Justice for the Consultative Assembly for the Reform of Company Law.
- Securitiesand Exchange CommissionAct 1988 and the SEC Regulations.
- Second-Tier ForeignExchange Market Act1986.
- Bankruptcy(Amendment) Act 1992.
- Civil Service Re-organisationAct1988.
- NigerianExportCredit Guarantee and Insurance Corporation Act (now NEXIM) 1988.
- Investment and SecuritiesTribunal (Procedure) Rules2003
- Industrial Development Co-ordinationAct1988.
- National ShippingPolicyAct 1987.
- NigerianAirportsAuthority (Amendment) Act 1993.
Also served as leader and member of Federal Government delegation to several international commercial and financial negotiations. These include:
Legal Consultant in the Nigeria Debt Rescheduling Programme Negotiations 1986-88 between Federal Government of Nigeria and the London Club of Commercial Bank Creditors and the Paris Club of Official Creditors.
At various times served as Legal Consultant, Head of Delegation and Transaction Manager in respect of negotiation of Lease Management Agreement and Management Contract between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Government of Benin Republic in respect of the Joint Ventures ¾ Save Sugar Company and Onigbolo Cement Company.
Served as member, Technical Committee for the Privatisation of the Nigerian/Benin Republic Joint Ventures.
Deputy Head of Delegation and Legal Consultant to the Federal Government of Nigeria/NAFCON II Negotiation for the establishment of a second Fertilizer Plant for NAFCON between Federal Government of Nigeria and Kellogg of Houston, U.S.A.
Served as member, Drafting Committee on the National Construction Policy for Nigeria (1988).
Served as Legal Consultant and Head of Delegation for the negotiation and drafting of the contract for the construction of Nigeria House (Nigerian UN Mission Building in New York) between Federal Government of Nigeria and Koren Diresta Construction Company of New York, U.S.A.
Legal Consultant to the Federal Government of Nigeria for the SHEDA Project.
Advised at various times on Facility/Agency Agreements in respect of Nigeria Debt Conversion Programme between 1988 and 1990.
Presentation of various Papers on Project Financing at Seminars and Workshops since 1994.
Organised two Workshops on Privatisation and Commercialisation in Abuja (1991) and Kaduna (1995).
(b) …. at the international level:
Was Consultant to the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations on Legal Aspects of Transnational Corporations (1989- 1990).
Served as a member of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Laws (UNCITRAL) Expert Group on Countertrade (1989).
Appointed focal point for Nigeria at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) on Training Programme on Legal Aspects of Debt Management.
Resource Person for UNITAR Programme on Debt Management and other International Financial Agreements for African Lawyers (1991- 1992) and Resource Person, Training Workshops in Dar-es-Salaam, Accra and Lagos (1991-1992).
Served as Consultant to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), in preparing the draft Protocol on Industry to be Annexed to the African Economic Community Treaty (1991-1992).
Was Co-ordinator for Nigeria in the UNCTC/UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Government of Nigeria on Capacity Building in the Negotiation of International Agreements (1987-1988).
Correspondent for Nigeria to the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) (1994-Date).
2.0 CORPORATE LAWYER AND CONSULTANT
1.He has acted as Consultant or Solicitor or Counsel in innumerable corporate cases, negotiations, arbitrations etc.
2.He has been Consultant and Transaction Manager to Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria since 1991 and in particular, for the building of the New Domestic Airport building. Also drafted the two successive Concession Agreements between:
(a)The Federal Government of Nigeria and Sanderton Ventures Ltd. (2001); and
(b)The Federal Government of Nigeria and Stabilini Visinoni/Bi-Courtney Ltd (2003).
(c)Represented the Authority in several arbitration and litigation proceedings (national and international)
3.He consulted for the Investments & Securities Tribunal for the drafting of the Investments & Securities Tribunal Rules, 2003.
4.Acted as Legal Consultant to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and actually drafted the Port Concession Agreement signed in February 2005.
3.1LAW TEACHER, RESEARCHER AND WRITER
His career as a Law Lecturer started at the University of Ife, (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1976. In 1982, he joined the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the University of Lagos as a Senior Research Fellow. He served at the Institute for ten years, rising to the position of Professor of Law and Co-ordinator of Research. his particular fields of specialization were:
(a)Taxation and Revenue Law
(b)Commercial and Company Law
(c)Financial and Investment Law
(d)Environmental Law
He has authored over 200 articles and papers and six books, during these years on diverse areas of topical interest. Some of these are shown below:
PUBLICATIONS
Professor Akanle has written, edited and co-authored several books on law and has published or presented about 200 hundred articles and conference papers.