A full-service commercial and litigation law firm delivering high quality, result-oriented legal services across Nigeria and beyond.
Pneuma and Law (P&L) was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria on 29th November 2012. We are a dynamic and growing law firm with highly trained professionals serving a growing clientele from our offices in Abuja.
Our clientele ranges from individuals and business organisations to corporate bodies — both private and public — across social development, banking, aviation, real estate, oil and gas, and technology sectors.
"To provide top notch, high quality, speedy and result-oriented legal services to individuals, businesses and Public/Private Corporations and to serve as primary resource and partner in all aspects of our Client's business growth, sustenance and development."
Comprehensive legal advisory and representation across all aspects of Nigerian law.
Business setup, corporate governance, transactions, and ongoing commercial counsel.
Vigorous representation in courts at all levels, protecting our clients' interests.
PPP structuring, negotiation, and advisory for government and private sector projects.
Strategic recovery of debts through litigation, negotiation, and enforcement actions.
Thorough fact-finding and risk assessment services for informed business decisions.
Estate administration, wills, succession planning, and grant of probate proceedings.
Drafting, reviewing, and advising on all forms of commercial and legal agreements.
International investment arbitration and specialist aviation law practice.
A dedicated team of advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, bringing diverse expertise and a shared commitment to exceptional client service.
Mr. Okutepa holds an LL.B (Hons.) from Ahmadu Bello University (2008) and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2009. He holds a Master's Degree in Oil and Gas Law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland and is an alumnus of the Institute of Public Private Partnerships (iP3) and the International Law Institute (ILI), both in Washington DC. He was sworn in as Notary Public in September 2017. He is a member of both the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Bar Association.
LL.B, University of Calabar (2012). Called to the Nigerian Bar, 2016. Deep interest in Corporate Governance and commercial law practice.
LL.B, University of Buckingham, UK (2012). Called to the Nigerian Bar, 2016. Drive for Commercial Law Practice, Business Law and Litigation.
LL.B, University of Abuja (2019). Called to the Nigerian Bar, 2020. Focus on Research, Corporate Law, Property Law, and Litigation.
LL.B, Ekiti State University (2013). Called to the Bar, 2014. Deep understanding of Corporate Law Practice and Litigation.
Called to the Bar, 2016. PMP certified. Specialist in FinTech advisory, corporate governance, real estate transactions, and aviation law.
LL.B, University of Jos (2014). Called to the Bar, 2015. Dedicated practice in Corporate Law and Litigation.
LL.B, Benue State University (2021). Called to the Bar, 2024. Focus on Arbitration and Litigation practice.
LL.B, University of Uyo (2022). Called to the Bar, 2025. Interest in Corporate, Property, Sports Law, and Litigation.
LL.B, Kogi State University (PAAU). Called to the Bar, 2025. Focus on Corporate, Commercial Law and Litigation.
LL.B, Near East University, Cyprus. Called to the Bar, 2025. Focus on Intellectual Property, Corporate Law, Research, and Litigation.
LL.B, Near East University, Cyprus. Called to the Bar, 2025. Focus on CyberLaw, Crypto Law, Research, and Litigation.
Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs) are the cornerstone of upstream petroleum operations in Nigeria, yet their enforceability as between co-venturers and against third parties remains a subject of doctrinal controversy. This piece examines recent judicial developments and proposes a framework for practitioners navigating this unsettled terrain.
An analysis of how Nigerian PPP frameworks interact with the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, with practical guidance for structuring compliant concession agreements.
The administration of Arik Air by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria raised fundamental questions about the priority of passenger claims and the regulatory responsibilities of the NCAA in airline insolvency proceedings.
Following years of regulatory ambiguity, Nigeria's treatment of digital assets is evolving. This piece surveys the current framework and identifies the compliance obligations that businesses must now navigate.
MFN clauses in BITs have generated divergent arbitral awards worldwide. This research surveys the landscape and assesses how Nigerian treaty practice fares against evolving international standards.
Section 22 of the Land Use Act mandates Governor's Consent for transactions in statutory rights of occupancy. Non-compliance renders alienations void — a trap that continues to ambush sophisticated commercial parties.
Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs) govern the relationship between co-venturers in Nigeria's upstream oil and gas sector. They allocate rights, obligations, costs, and production entitlements among parties who jointly hold a licence or lease. Yet despite their commercial centrality, the legal status of JOAs in Nigeria remains surprisingly unsettled.
The primary controversy concerns whether a JOA, as a contract between licensees, can bind third parties — including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) in joint venture arrangements — and whether its default provisions are enforceable in Nigerian courts in the same manner as in common law jurisdictions. Courts have at times treated JOAs as purely inter-partes instruments, limiting their reach significantly.
Recent decisions by the Federal High Court have begun to grapple more substantively with JOA mechanics, particularly in the context of default, forfeiture of participating interests, and the enforceability of sole-risk clauses. The trend, though nascent, suggests a growing judicial appreciation for the commercial context in which these instruments operate.
Until there is clear appellate authority or legislative intervention, practitioners must draft JOAs with Nigerian-specific enforceability risk in mind — incorporating robust dispute resolution clauses, governing law provisions, and structuring security arrangements to minimise reliance on contested default remedies. At Pneuma and Law, we advise clients to treat each JOA as requiring bespoke Nigerian law analysis rather than transposing international precedents wholesale.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice on your specific circumstances, please contact Pneuma and Law.
Nigeria's Public-Private Partnership framework — anchored in the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (Establishment) Act 2005 and various state-level PPP laws — offers significant opportunities for private investment in public infrastructure. However, the intersection of this framework with the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 (FRA) creates obligations that both government agencies and private partners must navigate carefully.
The FRA imposes a medium-term expenditure framework and requires that government borrowing and contingent liabilities remain within prescribed limits. PPP concession agreements that involve government guarantees, availability payments, or minimum revenue guarantees may constitute contingent fiscal liabilities, triggering disclosure and approval requirements under the Act.
Practitioners should structure PPP agreements to characterise government obligations in ways that are both commercially attractive and FRA-compliant — ensuring that revenue support mechanisms are subject to appropriation and that fiscal risk allocations are clearly documented. Pneuma and Law has extensive experience advising on PPP transactions that satisfy both investor expectations and statutory requirements.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
When AMCON assumed management of Arik Air in February 2017, thousands of passengers held valid tickets for flights that would not operate, raising urgent questions about the enforceability of passenger rights under Nigerian law and the regulatory duties of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Act 2022 and the Consumer Protection Regulations issued by the NCAA afford passengers certain minimum protections, including rights to refunds and compensation in cases of cancellation. However, insolvency creates a tension: these are unsecured claims ranking behind secured creditors and preferential debts in any administration.
Airlines operating in Nigeria should maintain segregated passenger trust accounts to reduce insolvency risk to ticket holders. Passengers, for their part, should be aware of chargeback rights available through card issuers, which may offer a practical remedy outside the formal insolvency process. Pneuma and Law advises both carriers and passengers on rights and remedies in this space.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Nigeria's regulatory approach to cryptocurrency has oscillated between prohibition and cautious acceptance. The Central Bank of Nigeria's 2021 circular restricting banks from facilitating crypto transactions was partially reversed in 2023 with the introduction of the CBN's Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) framework, and the SEC's Digital Assets Rules have since provided a further layer of regulatory structure.
Entities wishing to operate as VASPs in Nigeria must register with the SEC and comply with AML/CFT requirements under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022. This includes customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, and suspicious transaction reporting obligations materially equivalent to those applicable to traditional financial institutions.
The regulatory trajectory suggests progressive formalisation of the crypto sector in Nigeria. Businesses should now treat regulatory compliance as a baseline rather than an afterthought. Pneuma and Law assists clients in structuring compliant crypto and FinTech businesses and navigating the evolving supervisory landscape.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Nigeria is party to a number of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) that include Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clauses. These provisions, which require a host state to extend to investors of one treaty partner the most favourable treatment it accords to investors of any third state, have been the subject of significant and divergent arbitral interpretation globally.
The most contested question is whether MFN clauses permit investors to import more favourable dispute resolution provisions — such as broader arbitral jurisdiction or shorter waiting periods — from third-party BITs. Arbitral tribunals are divided, and Nigeria, like many states, has not taken a definitive public position on this question in its treaty practice.
Foreign investors in Nigeria should audit the MFN provisions in applicable BITs before initiating arbitration, as they may unlock procedural advantages. Nigeria, for its part, should consider adopting model BIT language that expressly addresses the scope of MFN clauses to reduce arbitral uncertainty. Pneuma and Law advises both investors and government entities in international investment disputes.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Section 22 of the Land Use Act 1978 (LUA) provides that no holder of a statutory right of occupancy shall alienate, mortgage, transfer, or otherwise assign their right without the prior consent of the Governor. Transactions executed without consent are void — a consequence that Nigerian courts have consistently enforced, often to the consternation of sophisticated commercial parties who overlooked the requirement.
The consent requirement applies not only to outright sales but also to mortgages, sub-leases, and assignments of rights — a scope that catches many commercial parties unaware. Delays in obtaining consent also create significant risk in time-sensitive transactions, as parties may rely on agreements that are, at the time of execution, legally ineffective.
Practitioners should include conditions precedent requiring Governor's Consent before any interest passes, with long-stop dates and clear allocation of the obligation and cost of obtaining consent. In secured lending, lenders should ensure that consent is obtained prior to drawdown rather than as a post-closing obligation. Pneuma and Law provides comprehensive property transaction advisory to ensure compliance with the LUA at every stage.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Suite 520–521, MKK Plaza
Opp. Gudu Market, Gudu
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja – Nigeria
CAC Registered · Nigeria
29th November, 2012