Tailoring a green legal practice (LIDW25 briefs)

Leading figures from across the global dispute resolution community have gathered for London International Disputes Week (LIDW25), themed ‘Innovation in Dispute Resolution: Navigating Global Risks’. Throughout this week, delegates are connecting, learning, and socialising across a huge variety of sessions and events, while exploring key issues and topics, helping drive awareness and best practice globally.

Among those delegates are many who work on matters relating to Africa, and several disputes practitioners who have travelled to London from Africa. 

“Africa is the most important jurisdiction in the global energy transition,” said an expert panel on Wednesday, while discussing “Navigating the legal and economic complexities of African projects: disputes arising from the financial landscape, sustainability concerns and ESG considerations” at the Sun Street Hotel in London. 

One of more than 250 member-hosted events during LIDW25, the panel featured an  outstanding array of experts sharing their perspectives, insights, and expertise.

Chaired by Poupak Anjomshoaa, a partner at DWF who previously worked for several years as a General Counsel for a petrochemical company in Egypt, the panel included Oluseye Opasanya SAN and Mitchell Aghatise from Olaniwun Ajayi in Nigeria; Amaechi Nsofor, the Head of Africa Business Group at Grant Thornton UK and his fellow partner Paul Cliff; and Poupak’s fellow DWF partner Solomon Ebere. 

Following the panel discussion, we spoke with another African disputes practitioner who journeyed to London, Adeniji A Oni (Niji), to get his perspective on LIDW25.

Niji is the founder and Principal of Niji Oni & Co, an innovative, client-centric practice with offices in Lagos and Abuja that has a strong interest in agriculture, life sciences and healthcare, renewable energy, and innovation among its full-service offering.

What brought you to London International Disputes Week, and why is it important for you as a Nigerian practitioner to be here?

One reason is that, when it comes to things like arbitration or alternative dispute resolution, it is a way of bringing everybody together, globally. Also if you look at it from the point of view that London is commonly used as the disputes jurisdiction for most agreements, irrespective of whatever continent you are in, because the English courts and arbitration system is trusted as a neutral place. So when you have diversified companies working in different sectors who choose London as the centrepoint for resolving their disputes, you have no choice other than to be part of it and ensure you’re able to share knowledge with other jurisdictions and continents.

You worked for Nigeria’s leading and largest law firm, Olaniwun Ajayi, before establishing your own firm in 2017. What made you go out on your own and how are you trying to do things a little differently with Niji Oni & Co? 

Our firm is full-service, but for myself I’ve been tailoring what I call the ‘green practice’, where we’ve been concentrating on projects around agriculture, life sciences and pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, and emerging technologies. Why is that? It’s very simple, because those areas require lots of specialisation, they’re globally recognised sectors, and bring projects from different parts of the world. We’ve done several advisories from Asia, from the Americas, and also from Europe that are tailored and specialised in these sectors I classify as green practice. 

Often people mention mining, energy, oil and gas, and fintech as key investment sectors when discussing Africa, but agriculture also seems of vital importance … 

I mean, it’s massive. Nigeria is one of the most arable countries in the world, and with 36 states and there so many aspects of agriculture you can invest in. We’ve seen a lot of interest, even from Asia. This session we just finished talked about renewable energy. I used to crack a joke and say no matter what political party, whether left or right, is coming into government they will always support agriculture. That’s one of the reasons we’re concentrating so much on this area, and I’m practising in this area. Agriculture also leads you to so many other things. It’s taken us into life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and into renewable energy. There are several things you can do, starting with agriculture. The world is all looking for food. So yes, we are the alternative to oil practice. 

Thanks for your time, Niji. Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself and your firm, or Africa’s place in the international dispute resolution community? 

We continue to position ourselves within the African space, within the green practice sectors I’ve mentioned, because we believe those sectors are becoming global as opposed to being jurisdictional by nature. I’ve been to different sessions at LIDW, and seen people talk about AI, about fintech. You can see that even though ordinary disputes used to be around oil and gas or construction, it’s beginning to move to different sectors. We are positioning ourselves with these sectors, but also understanding what kinds of disputes arise in different jurisdictions. Because when you have global sectors, you have no choice. We do cross-border work, providing services across different nations. We recently got an advisory for a French technology company operating in Francophone Africa, so while Nigeria is not a French-speaking country, we’re providing advice with our strategic partners in this Francophone context.

This interview is part of Africa Legal's coverage of London International Disputes Week 2025. You can read more about other delegates, speakers, and events: 

• The Power of Pro Bono, for all involved
• Connecting with great minds (LIDW25 briefs)

• Africa is on the agenda as London International Disputes Week begins

Or view our full suite of LIDW25 coverage here