Tinubu appoints Tolu Obamuroh as technical adviser on oil, gas arbitration, international disputes
Oredola Adeola
In a bid to strengthen his legal team against demands for damages from breach of contract leading to several summonses in arbitration tribunals, President Bola Tinubu has appointed Tolu Obamuroh, as a technical adviser on oil and gas, arbitration, and international disputes to work in the office of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja.
This was confirmed in a statement released by the Presidency at the weekend announcing the appointment of the top prosecutor for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, and six individuals as new aides.
In the new appointment, President Bola Tinubu deployed the new appointees to the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, where they will work under the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
The new appointees include, Kamarudeen Ogundele, special assistant to the President on communication and publicity, Hussein Oloyede, special assistant on arbitration, drafting and regulations, and Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), special assistant on financial crimes and public prosecution compliance.
Others are Monsurat Gafar, special assistant on coordination and intergovernmental agency relations, Marcus-Obiene Fernández, special assistant on justice sector reforms and ICT/digital and innovative technology, Ahmed Wada, special assistant on special duties and Tolu Obamuroh, technical adviser on oil and gas, arbitration and international disputes.
EnergyDay’s check showed that Tolu Obamuroh, now confirmed as the technical adviser on oil and gas, arbitration, and international disputes in the office of the Federal Ministry of Justice, was an associate in the International Arbitration Group in Paris.
This is in furtherance of Nigeria’s recently adoption of the 2023 Arbitration and Mediation Act, which offers a revamped and modern legal framework to entities seeking to arbitrate their commercial disputes in Nigeria.
The Act introduces several provisions that will be of interest to arbitration users in the region.
Nigeria’s new technical aide on arbitration, Obamuroh, is expected to prevent future cases like the Process & Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID) influenced by several factors, including the impact of oil and gas, arbitration, and international disputes.
EnergyDay gathered that with Obamuroh’s appointment, Nigeria hopes to avoid similar costly legal battles in the future.
Obamuroh is an Associate in the International Arbitration Group of White & Case LLP based in Paris. His practice includes international commercial and investment arbitration, and he has experience in highly technical complex cases.
Until his appointment, Obamuroh used to advise clients in complex disputes in a variety of sectors, with a particular focus on the construction and energy industries and has a broad range of experience across these sectors.
He has represented clients from South and North America, West and East Europe, and Africa in major international arbitrations.
Obamuroh has also worked as the Associate General Counsel of the Lagos Court of Arbitration, where he was responsible for case management and dispute resolution of the Court.
At the LCA, he oversaw the implementation of various initiatives and programs aimed at helping judicial officials, lawyers, and students acquire both mediation skills and knowledge of international arbitration.
He is one of the top 20 rising stars in the legal profession in Nigeria, in view of his contributions to the development of the practice of international arbitration and ADR in Nigeria and around the world.