Joba Akinola
Senior Associate
Joba specialises in advising project sponsors, governments, banks and other financial institutions on various complex energy, natural resources and infrastructure projects across Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
He is a Nigerian national and dual qualified in New York and Nigeria. Joba was recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ for project finance and project development by IFLR1000 in 2021 and as a 'Notable Practitioner' in 2022 and 2023. He is fluent in Yoruba.
Expertise
Industries
Experience
Representative matters
NSIA in establishing a joint venture platform with Vitol to invest in sustainable development and GHG emission reduction projects in Nigeria.
Nigeria LNG Limited on a first-of-a-kind USD3bn corporate financing for the Train 7 project at the Bonny Island liquefied natural gas facility in Nigeria.
IFC on the financing of Safaricom Ethiopia for the construction and roll-out of the first private sector telecommunications network in Ethiopia.
The lenders (including IFC, Nedbank and Mauritius Commercial Bank) on the financing of SEACOM to boost its broadband cable network and cloud-based product offering in Djibouti, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.
Pro bono
Represented a number of indigent defendants in criminal proceedings before superior courts of record in Nigeria, under the Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership.
Advised various start-ups and MSMEs as a volunteer for the Neighborhood Entrepreneur law Project of the New York City Bar Association.
Published Work
- Nigeria's Revised Rules on Financial Assistance: Implications for Corporate Acquisition Transactions, Financial Nigeria, 2021
- Renewable Energy in Nigeria: Law Regulation, Trends & Opportunities (with Esan, W. et al), International Bar Association, 2021
- Infrastructure Development under Surveillance (with Nyatta, I.), ESI Africa, 2017
- A Nigerian Cure for the Banking Crisis (with Ajayi, K. and Oluwo, S.), ACM Insight, 2013
Speaking Engagements
- Sovereign Debt Restructuring and Finance - Current Themes for Africa (with the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice), 30/06/2021
- BusinessDay Future of Power Conference: "Puzzle to Power: Fitting the Pieces for a Secure and Sustainable Energy Future", 29/06/2021
- Supporting Young Lawyers in Sub-Saharan Africa (with the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice), 26/02/2021
- BusinessDay Future of Power Conference: "Unlocking the Potential of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry", 03/10/2019
Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations
Member, New York State Bar Association
Member, Nigerian Bar Association
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.