Christian Aniukwu, managing partner of Stren & Blan Partners, says “the rapidly changing legislative landscape in Nigeria, public positioning reshuffling, and a positive 2024 budget allocation for capital expenditure” all point to an economic awakening. With a solid understanding of the importance of bilateral ties, the firm’s leadership felt the time was ripe to share Nigeria’s potential, and the firm’s expertise, with a wider audience.
As part of this strategy, the firm has planned two events in the coming months of 2024:
The first event for 2024 takes place in London on 5 March. Titled “The Horizon 2024”, the keynote presentation will cover the latest trends and developments in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy.
“For decades now, the United Kingdom has been one of Nigeria’s highest investors across multiple sectors and in the establishment of key infrastructure, with over 55% of Nigeria’s FDI generated from the United Kingdom,” Aniukwu said.
“Riding on these already aligned economic relations, we decided to take the Nigerian economy closer to one of its longest-standing allies and strongest trade partners. The Nigerian economy is undergoing a metamorphosis, and for the process to birth a truly strong economy, it will require prompt and immense investments into various key sectors and markets,” he explained.
“We want to provide insight into the outlook for 2024 in the Nigerian and African economies. We’ll also be taking a more direct look into project finance and infrastructure development opportunities in the energy, finance, technology, and manufacturing sectors,” Aniukwu added.
Stren & Blan Partners has a strong presence in Nigeria’s energy and infrastructure sectors, and is currently advising on various state electrification initiatives and on key gas commercialisation transactions on the continent. Ozioma Agu heads the Energy, Finance and Infrastructure Practice Group, and Aniukwu praised her leadership of that department.
“By providing state and federal governments with the much-needed support systems in terms of policy and legal evaluation, we are creating avenues for investment across the value chain in the energy and power industry,” Aniukwu said.
He believes the firm has adapted well to the evolving Nigerian legal environment and is proud they have maintained their prominence in the industry. Aniukwu puts this down to their strategy of staying industry focused.
The London event has been curated for legal professionals, investment experts and fund managers looking to gain insight and build networks crucial to investment considerations in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa. The programme will include a fireside chat about key obstacles to sustainable investments in the renewable energy, infrastructure & financial services sectors, and a panel discussion on investment policies and capital market trends impacting investment in Nigeria.
The Business Adaptability Summit is an annual event organised by Stren & Blan Partners to help foreign and domestic businesses understand the evolving policies at play in Nigeria and how these policies can become tools for success rather than obstacles that impede their growth.
“During the last summit, we focused on the prevailing forex crisis and provided economic and policy-focused advice to businesses immensely affected by these circumstances,” Aniukwu shared. “We gained insight into what exactly businesses are hoping for from the government and how sustainable policies could aid them in predicting the market.”
For further information on these events, contact the firm or email preciouskolawole@strenandblan.com
Be sure to listen to their recent podcast on ‘Navigating Nigeria’s maritime future with legal and economic insights.’
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