Beverley Agbakoba-Onyejianya

Beverley Agbakoba-Onyejianya is a Partner and Head of the Sports, Entertainment and Technology (SET) Practice at Olisa Agbakoba Legal. She is a highly accomplished legal, regulatory, and compliance professional with over two decades of experience across Nigeria and the United Kingdom. She is a worldwide recognised leader at the intersection of law, business strategy, sports, and the creative industries, with expertise in sports law, entertainment law, alternative dispute resolution (ADR), intellectual property, employment law, international trade law, and start‑up and technology law.

Beverley is a certified mediator and arbitrator, particularly recognised for her expertise in sports dispute resolution. She holds the distinction of being the first Nigerian female admitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as a mediator and is listed on the FIFA Mediation Panel, Sports Resolutions International Panel, World Athletics Safeguarding Case Management Group, and several leading arbitration panels. She has contributed to the development of Nigeria’s National Sports Policy, a Special Sports Economic Zone in Southeast Nigeria, a National Policy for the Creative Sector, and a Geographical Indications Bill, and has developed a regulatory compliance programme for the Confederation of African Football (CAF). She is the founder and Academic Director of the Business of Sports Institute Africa (BOS Africa) and the founder of Lagos Tigers Football Club.

Beverley holds an LL.M in Commercial Law from the University of Wales, Cardiff (UK), an LL.B in Law with European Law from the University of Nottingham (UK), completed the Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law, and a B.L. from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, a former Chairperson of the NBA SBL Sports, Entertainment and Technology Committee, and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UK (Nigeria Branch). She has been recognised as a Recommended Global Leader in Sports Law by Who’s Who Legal (2024) and received the Executive Presence Lawyer Award (Female Category) at the Business of Law Awards (2024).