Overview
Navigating Nigeria’s Most Complex Regulatory Challenges. Delivering Certainty in Uncertainty.
Aluko & Oyebode’s Regulatory practice is Nigeria’s most comprehensive advisory on sectoral regulation, licensing, compliance, and regulatory engagement. We advise across telecommunications, financial services, energy, healthcare, aviation, maritime, and every major regulated sector, helping clients navigate Nigeria’s fragmented, evolving, and often unpredictable regulatory environment.
Our clients include multinationals entering Nigerian markets, domestic companies expanding operations, startups navigating regulatory uncertainty, and established businesses facing enforcement or seeking regulatory approvals. We handle licensing applications, regulatory compliance programs, enforcement defence, regulatory investigations, and strategic regulatory engagement across Nigeria’s multiple federal and state regulatory agencies.
What distinguishes our practice is regulatory intelligence combined with implementation capability. We don’t just know what the law says — we understand how regulators think, how approvals actually get granted, and how to navigate informal processes that determine real outcomes. We maintain relationships with key regulators while fiercely protecting client interests when regulatory engagement isn’t enough.
When regulatory approval determines business viability and regulatory enforcement threatens operations, Nigeria’s most sophisticated companies rely on Aluko & Oyebode.
Services
Licensing & Market Entry
Securing regulatory licenses and permits across all sectors — preparing applications, engaging regulators, managing approval processes, and navigating bureaucratic delays. We handle banking licenses, telecommunications licenses, energy permits, aviation approvals, and sector-specific authorisations.
Sector-Specific Regulatory Advisory
Deep expertise across regulated sectors — telecommunications (NCC), financial services (CBN, SEC, NAICOM, PenCom), energy (NUPRC, NMDPRA, NERC), aviation (NCAA), maritime (NIMASA), healthcare (NAFDAC), and others. We advise on sector-specific compliance, tariff regulation, and regulatory strategy.
Regulatory Compliance & Monitoring
Designing and implementing regulatory compliance programs, identifying applicable obligations, establishing compliance processes, managing regulatory reporting, conducting compliance audits, and ongoing regulatory monitoring.
Regulatory Investigations & Enforcement Defence
Defending clients in regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings, responding to regulatory inquiries, managing inspections and audits, challenging enforcement actions, negotiating settlements, and litigating regulatory disputes.
Government Relations & Regulatory Engagement
Strategic regulatory engagement, building regulatory relationships, influencing regulatory interpretation, participating in consultations, and advocating for favourable regulatory treatment while maintaining ethical engagement.
Selected Experience
Fintech CBN Licensing
Secured Payment Service Provider license for fintech startup — navigating CBN’s stringent requirements, preparing a comprehensive application, addressing multiple regulator queries, and achieving approval, enabling market launch.
Telecommunications Spectrum Acquisition
Advised a major telco on acquiring additional spectrum — managing NCC engagement, structuring commercial terms, addressing competition concerns, and securing ministerial approval for ₦50 billion spectrum investment.
Energy Sector Multi-Permit Coordination
Coordinated acquisition of 15+ permits for oil and gas midstream project — managing NUPRC, NMDPRA, environmental agencies, state governments, and local authorities to enable project development.
Insurance Company NAICOM Investigation
Defended insurer in NAICOM investigation into alleged capital adequacy violations — responding to regulatory inquiries, negotiating remediation plan, and avoiding license suspension.
Aviation Operator License Renewal
Secured NCAA license renewal for an airline facing regulatory scrutiny — addressing safety concerns, demonstrating compliance upgrades, and achieving approval, preventing operational shutdown.
Pharmaceutical Company NAFDAC Compliance
Designed a comprehensive NAFDAC compliance program for a pharmaceutical manufacturer — addressing GMP requirements, establishing quality assurance systems, and achieving regulatory certification for expanded operations.
Client Quotes
Awards and Accolades
Shortlisted for Financial Services Regulatory – Regional (Team of the Year) as well as across multiple categories including Deal of the Year, Team of the Year, and specialist firm awards in Equity Capital Markets.
IFLR Africa 2026 Awards Shortlist (2026)
Thought Leadership
