Dr. Olisa Agbakoba OON, SAN, LLD, FCIArb is the Senior Partner of Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL). With nearly five decades of distinguished practice, he commands exceptional authority across constitutional law, human rights, maritime governance, energy policy, complex litigation, arbitration, legal policy, environmental justice, and space law. He is widely recognised as a pioneer in Nigerian dispute resolution and one of Africa’s foremost maritime lawyers.

Dr. Agbakoba holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Nigeria, a Barrister at Law Diploma (BL) from the Nigerian Law School, a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Doctorate in Law (LLD) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is a Life Bencher of the Body of Benchers, served on the National Judicial Council for four years, and served as President of the Nigerian Bar Association from 2006 to 2008, championing justice sector reform across West Africa, and currently serves as Chairman of the NBA Board of Trustees. He founded the Civil Liberties Organisation, Nigeria’s first formal human rights organisation, and Inter African Network for Human Rights and Development (AFRONET), cementing his standing as a foundational figure in Africa’s human rights movement. He was conferred Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the equivalent of King’s Counsel, in September 1998, and the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in December 2001.

A prolific scholar and recognised Mondaq Thought Leader, Dr. Agbakoba is the author of over 20 books and 500 journal articles. He has lectured at Harvard Law School, York University Toronto, and Carleton University Ottawa, and addressed the Commonwealth Law Association, the International Bar Association, and the National Endowment for Democracy. He is a Visiting Professor of Constitutional Law at the School of Policy, Politics and Governance Nigeria, and a Senior Fellow at the Ben Nwabueze School of Constitutional and Legal Studies.

Dr. Agbakoba has advised three former Nigerian Presidents, Attorneys-General of the Federation, the National Assembly, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), and leading multilateral and private sector organisations. He is the visionary behind the OAL Arbitration & Mediation Centre, Nigeria’s first law firm-annexed ADR hub, and serves as counsel and arbitrator in high-stakes disputes across maritime, aviation, energy, and telecommunications sectors.