Experts speak on topical legal issues at Oando annual legal seminar
Last month, among other highlights achieved, Oando held the 6th edition of its legal seminar at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi Lagos. The event had in attendance seasoned legal professionals and stakeholders across the financial, manufacturing and energy sectors, who discussed salient legal issues that affect the country, as well as proffer solutions on addressing them.
Speaking on the importance of the seminar, the chief legal officer, Oando plc, Ngozi Okonkwo, explained that the seminar was borne out of the need to drive engagement and create an avenue for knowledge sharing in the Nigerian legal sector, whilst bringing forth opportunities for collaborations and deliberations that would be beneficial to practitioners, the industry, and the country at large.
She said: “The kind of value you gain from seminars like these cannot be over emphasized, attendees leave equipped with knowledge that are certain to come in handy in their practice and other endeavours. As a result of their busy schedules, many professionals do not have enough time for personal development, however, seminars such as these are an easy way to gain real value, opening the door for that flood of useful information that equips us to become that valuable knowledge resource.”
Topics discussed at the event included the intricacies of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) which has now been signed by 52 out of 55 African countries, including Nigeria. Experts, at the event harped on the need for Nigeria to improve on its infrastructural facilities to enable the country reap the benefits of AFCTA.
Speaking on a panel discussion themed – ‘’African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement: Channelings and Opportunities for Nigerian Companies’’, Dr. Khruschev Ekwueme, Partner at Olaniwun Ajayi Legal Practice, highlighted that as much as Nigeria’s signing the AFCTA was a step in the right direction, the country needs to work on key elements such as infrastructure development to fully harness the opportunities of the free trade zone.