Aderonke Agbabiaika
Legal Practitioner
Lagos,Lagos
Summary
My career objective is therefore simple: to use my (legal) skills to bring quick, positive, creative but practical solutions to my immediate sphere of influence. As such, my focus daily is to obtain more significant exposure that advances this objective.
Aderonke is a senior legal professional with 17 years extensive commercial, dispute resolution and transactional experience, gained from working on diverse legal issues in different industry sectors. I understand the need to be a Business enabler, hence, my ability to think not just as a lawyer but as a business owner. I have the ability to integrate legal advice and business knowledge, while providing balanced advice regarding risks and benefits. From structuring of commercial transactions (MTN) to the constitutive framework of a simple organization (Afriglobal), I have garnered an expansive skill base in measures that may be deployed as necessary to meet the overriding objective of every client. This wide range of experience has now brought me to my current position as the Head of Legal of the Afriglobal Group of Companies, where I work autonomously managing and overseeing the legal department of the Group (and its 4 (four) sister companies). I love chess, sudoku, and anything that will involve critical thinking! I have a proactive approach to life and I am most fulfilled when I find solutions to/solve a problem.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
8
8
years of post-secondary education
5
5
Certifications
Work History
Head of Legal
Afriglobal Integrated Services Limited
12.2021 - Current
- I negotiate and draft a wide range of contracts including but not limited to MOU’s, Lease Agreements, Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA), Reseller Agreements, Logistics Agreements, Employment Agreements, Equipment Purchase Agreement, System Integration agreements, Terms of Settlement Agreements, Partnerships Agreements, Directors Agreement etc
- I oversee all contractual issues and risks relating to/affecting all the Group companies whilst providing day to day oversight and support to the Group’s Subsidiaries
- I provide guidance to the Board of Directors on a wide range of issues including corporate governance, risk management and corporate integrity
- I provide legal, business focused and strategic advice to the Groups subsidiaries and Executive management on a variety of contractual issues
- As a business enabler, I wear the business hat and provide creative solutions that are legally compliant
- I ensure the documentation of all contracts entered into by the Company
- To this end, I spearheaded the development of a Document Management System and contracts register for the Legal Department
- I develop, implement and drive the enforcement of contract risk management policies and procedures across the Group
- I protect the Company’s brand and Reputation
- I provide legal advise and support on business opportunities as they arise and generally drive process improvement within the Group Companies
- I ensure the Company’s compliance with business laws and regulations, policies and processes, code of corporate governance and all other applicable regulations
- I provide practical legal advice to local HR and other teams on policy issues, employee relations issues etc;
- I prepare Board papers on contract risk status and mitigation efforts for the Board of Directors from time to time
- I work on Projects that are assigned from time to time by the Group Chief Executive Officer and make presentation when required
- I support the business in the negotiation of disputes and act as liason with external counsel for the management of the Company’s litigation matters
Commercial Legal Advisor
MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd
04.2012 - 02.2021
- I worked with other Business units to develop, establish and implements improvements to ensure legal and corporate governance compliance
- Provided legal support to the IT, HR, Procurement, Sales teams etc
- I assisted the Procurement unit in the assessment of suppliers, vendors and review of RFP’s and other areas of Bids and Tenders
- I was part of the Team that assessed and managed contract risks and developed strategies to mitigate potential liabilities
- I ensured compliance of various Divisions with MTN’s contractual obligations as well as laws and regulations guiding the Industry
- I negotiated, drafted and reviewed diverse Contracts cutting across diverse sections of the MTN Business including but not limited to ICT/technology Contracts, Data Centre Hosting Agreements, Managed Services Contracts, Master Site Lease Agreements, Infrastructure Sharing Agreements, Site integrated maintenance services Agreements, Turnkey Site Build/ Site Acquisition Contracts, Software maintenance Agreements, Master Service Agreements, Supply and Delivery Agreements, Value Added Services Agreement Addendums, Licence supply agreements, Device Finance Agreements, strategic partnership agreements with notable companies like Facebook, Apple and Google, Bank Guarantees etc
- Part of the team involved in the negotiating of key telecom contracts such as wholesale and carrier agreements, interconnect contracts and network operating center (NOC) agreements
- As was required from time to time, I advised and guided the Business on terms and clauses of existing Contracts between MTN and other parties, highlighting attendant risks and providing legal advice and effecting best –practice
- Provided support and legal advisory services to the Business on diverse matters including giving opinions on provisions of relevant laws, regulations and proposed legislation
- Prepared and reviewed Terms and Conditions for the various products, services, offerings and Promotions that MTN offered its Subscribers
- I provided advice to Business teams regarding deal structures and contracts interpretations
- I conducted in house legal and compliance trainings for MTN staff
- I provided support to the General Manager, Legal Unit from time to time
- Led the negotiations and provided comprehensive legal and business advisory services and drafting of the Collocation Agreement between MTN and Airtel Networks Limited for the collocation of all the Parties Base Stations across Nigeria
- Part of Legal team involved in the $Billion Passive Asset Transfer Project of MTN Nigeria to a separate legal entity- (Quarter 1& 2, 2014)
- Played a key role in the legal and regulatory aspects of the negotiation for and procurement of the Rights of Way Concession/Permits for the deployment of fiber optic cables all over Nigeria covering over 4,000 kilometres of Federal and State roads, bridges, railways and waterways all over Nigeria
- Played a key role in the acquisition of key rural sites for the deployment of telecommunication sites being a key deliverable in ensuring the deployment of services to remote areas within Nigeria and in compliance with regulatory directives
- Part of the team that developed a robust contract policy and process manual to govern the contract management lifecycle from contract initiation to execution and filing
- Participated in a project for the deployment of a critical contract management and documentation software
- My role in this project included scope definition, defining the acceptance criteria and procedure, and warranty delivery and support
- Top 2 best performing team members in my role as legal counsel between 2013- 2016
- Winner of the MTN Commercial Legal award for project completion in 2017
- Part of the MTN Nigeria Legal Services team that won the Esq
- Nigerian Legal Awards for ‘In-House Legal Team (Telecoms) of the Year’ in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively
Ethics Management/Data Protection & Compliance Advisor
MTN Nigeria Communications Limited
06.2020 - 11.2020
- Assisted the team in communicating corporate ethics statements, policies, codes and supporting documentation
- Assisted in the implementation of procedures for resolution of ethical conflicts, complaints, allegations, breaches etc
- Assisted in planning and drafting PowerPoint presentation for Ethics training and reporting
- Identified, analysed, and interpreted trends or patterns relating to employees and other stakeholders’ behaviours and ethical compliance
- Assisted in resolving employees’ and other stakeholders’ queries in line with the MTNN ethical framework
- Assisted in disseminating corporate ethics statements, ethic tips, policies and supporting publications via Ethics portal and other platforms
- Influenced staff to have positive mind-sets and behaviours and demonstrate integrity to achieve positive results in the interest of the business
- Assisted in identifying regulatory/statutory developments and trends and advised line management as appropriate
- Solely reviewed the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 and developed a Compliance Risk Management Plan for MTN and its CSR arm, the MTN Foundation
- Solely prepared the initial draft of a 3-year Ethics Management Plan for MTN in respect of ethics management risks identified during an Ethics Risk Assessment conducted by the Ethics Institute
- Constantly provided advice and guidance to other Business Units in respect of Data Privacy matters
- Part of team responsible for ensuring MTN’s compliance with relevant Data Privacy laws
- In October 2020, MTN was named among the Data Protection compliant Organizations by NITDA
- At the forefront of the successful development /deployment of Privacy Notices across all digital touch-points of the Business
Associate
Paul Usoro & Co
12.2008 - 12.2011
- Worked directly with the former NBA Chairman, Paul Usoro, SAN where I garnered experience in Agreement Review and Drafting, Legal Consultancy and advisory services, Company secretarial services as well as Litigation practice and management
- The 3 years spent at PUC proved a good foundation for my transition to MTN
Education
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) - undefined
University of Lagos
Yaba, Lagos 01.2000 - 04.2006
Barrister at Law (BL) - undefined
Nigerian Law School
Lagos 01.2006 - 04.2007
Skills
Client Relationship Management
Contracts risk management
Contract review
Contract finalization
Contract extension
Contract renewal
Cross-functional collaboration
Verbal communication
Written communication
Team player
Interpersonal skills
Listening skills
Leadership skills
Organizational skills
Global mindset
Deadline-oriented
Independent work
Stakeholder interface
Legal analytical skills
Negotiation
Commercial risk analysis
Mitigation strategies
MS Office proficiency
Certification
International Bar Association (IBA) Conference, 10/01/18, Rome, Italy
Timeline
Head of Legal
Afriglobal Integrated Services Limited
12.2021 - Current
Ethics Management/Data Protection & Compliance Advisor
MTN Nigeria Communications Limited
06.2020 - 11.2020
Commercial Legal Advisor
MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd
04.2012 - 02.2021
Associate
Paul Usoro & Co
12.2008 - 12.2011
Barrister at Law (BL) - undefined
Nigerian Law School
01.2006 - 04.2007
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) - undefined
University of Lagos
01.2000 - 04.2006