Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN
Dr. Agbakoba is the Senior Partner and Head of the Arbitration and ADR practice group in Olisa Agbakoba Legal. He is an alumnus of the University of Nigeria Nsukka and the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (equivalent of Queen’s Counsel).
Dr. Agbakoba is one of Nigeria’s leading experts in Arbitration and has presided over several complex arbitration.He is the brain behind the first Law Firm Annexed Arbitration/ Mediation Centre in Lagos (Nigeria), the Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL) Arbitration & Mediation Centre. He has showcased his brilliance as a Counsel and an Arbitrator in major National and Cross border disputes relating to Aviation (Airport Terminal Concessions) Vessel Charter, Maritime Collision, Oil wells and Rigs, Telecommunications, Housing Development and Construction respectively.
He has championed legal reforms in arbitration in Nigeria including the establishment of industry specific arbitration centres in maritime, construction, energy, telecommunications and entertainment sectors. He also played a major role in the establishment of the Lagos Court of Arbitration and reforms of the Lagos State Arbitration Rules. He designed the ADR Mechanism and Rules for the Asset Management and Recovery for Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
In recognition of his contribution to the growth of Arbitration in Nigeria, Dr Agbakoba was appointed as the Chair of the National Arbitration Policy Committee set of by the Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2020 to advise the government on strategic policies to enhance Nigeria’s arbitration landscape.
Dr. Agbakoba was the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (2006-2008) and in 1987 founded the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) of which he was the president from 1987 to 1995. He is a Fellow of the Nigeria Instituteof Chartered Arbitrators and the Vice President of the Institute.He is also theLegal Adviser to the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) and a life member of the Body of Benchers. He is a member of the African Arbitration Association (AfAA) and also a member of its Advocacy Committee working to increase the visibility of African Arbitrators. He is a member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and listed as an Arbitrator at the Lagos Court of Arbitration. He is at present working with the Nigerian Economic Summit group for the creation of a Center for Sport Arbitration in Nigeria.
Dr. Agbakoba is an expert and pioneer in the field of Space Law and Regulation in Nigeria. He has a long history of working with the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), the
National Assembly, policymakers, and, in particular, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) to help strengthen the legal, institutional, and regulatory framework that governs Space activities in Nigeria
As a space lawyer, Dr. Agbakoba has developed a legal framework for space administration in light of growing private sector interest in space and to attract investment. His work has had a significant impact on the way Nigeria treats space activities and regulations and has worked together with NASRDA in the enactment of Regulation on Licensing and Supervision of Space Activities, 2015 (Vol.108, No.106, of 28th September 2021. This includes reviewing and analyzing the current space policy
