Aniekan Ukpanah

Aniekan Ukpanah is the Senior Partner of Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, based in Lagos, Nigeria. He heads the firm's banking and finance, project finance and real estate teams. His practice focuses on Banking and Finance Law.

He advises on the structuring and financing of large-scale construction, infrastructure and energy projects, the capital and money markets, and syndicated loans.

He co-led the team that advised an international financial institution on a US$50,000,000.00 facility to one of the top five Nigerian banks, and advises investors in the gas sector, including one of the largest extractors of natural gas in the world, in relation to various Nigerian oil and gas projects. In addition to legal services, he provides client training and presents papers on security for bank lending, secured credit transactions and legal issues associated with PPPs.

Outside of his banking and finance focus, Mr. Ukpanah acted as the team leader in a World Bank/USAID-funded project to devise a "road map" to guide foreign investors who wish to invest in Nigeria.

He is ranked as an Eminent Practitioner for his Banking & Finance work by Chambers Global; as a Highly Regarded Lawyer in the Banking, Capital Markets, Project Development and Project Finance sections of the International Financial Law Review (Expert Guides); a Leading Individual for his Real Estate and Construction practice by Legal 500; and is commended in Who's Who Legal.

Aniekan is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lex Mundi, the world's leading network of independent law firms, with 150+ member firms and more than 22,000 lawyers worldwide. He also chairs and serves on the boards of various private limited liability companies, and is a member of the governing council of Obong University, the first licensed private university in Akwa Ibom State.