Overview
Trusted legal experts at the intersection of Nigerian maritime law and international shipping.
Aluko & Oyebode delivers full-service Shipping & Maritime counsel across the Gulf of Guinea and beyond. Our team is widely recognised for high-stakes admiralty disputes, complex ship finance and asset-backed transactions, marine insurance and P&I mandates, port and terminal projects, cabotage compliance, and cross-border trade and sanctions matters. We pair deep sector fluency with courtroom strength at the Federal High Court and in international arbitration settings.
As a member of ALN and through trusted relationships with leading international law firms, we mobilise the right team for multi-jurisdictional mandates, coordinating vessel arrests in Lagos, structuring syndicated asset finance in London, or aligning marine insurance responses with P&I Clubs across Europe and Asia. We operate from Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
Services
Admiralty, Ship Arrests & Maritime Enforcement
We represent shipowners, charterers, bunker suppliers, and creditors in vessel arrests and security enforcement proceedings, encompassing swift judicial intervention, security releases, wrongful arrest claims, and the full range of admiralty jurisdiction before Nigerian courts.
Cabotage, Regulatory & Blue Economy
Strategic counsel on Nigerian cabotage compliance, vessel registration, NIMASA regulatory requirements, coastal trade restrictions, blue economy policy, and emerging regulatory frameworks governing Nigeria’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
Marine Insurance & P&I
We advise insurers, P&I clubs, and insured parties on marine insurance coverage, claims handling, subrogation rights, limitation of liability, and regulatory compliance, having secured pioneering NIMASA approvals for international marine insurers operating in Nigeria.
Offshore Services & Energy Marine
We advise on offshore supply vessels, FPSO operations, subsea infrastructure, marine services agreements, offshore construction contracts, rig charters, and specialised maritime arrangements supporting Nigeria’s oil and gas operations.
Ports, Terminals & Marine Infrastructure
We advise developers, concessionaires, government agencies, and investors on port development, terminal operations, concession agreements, infrastructure financing, and PPPs, including the Lagos ports complex and emerging deepwater facilities.
Shipping Disputes & Arbitration
Our disputes team handles complex maritime litigation and international arbitration involving charterparty disputes, cargo claims, collisions, salvage, general average, maritime liens, and contractual disagreements, including LMAA, ICC, and UNCITRAL proceedings.
Ship Finance & Asset Transactions
We advise lenders, borrowers, and investors on vessel financing structures, acquisition and disposal transactions, mortgage arrangements, leasing, sale and purchase agreements, and security documentation for commercial vessels, offshore support vessels, tankers, and specialised maritime assets.
Selected Experience
Digital Asset Exchange: Regulatory Framework
Advised on regulatory frameworks for virtual assets and cryptocurrency platforms in Nigeria, structuring compliance with the Investments and Securities Act 2025, AML/CFT controls, customer protection measures, and the evolving classification of digital assets as securities.
First Ally Capital / Mines.IO: AI-Powered Credit Scoring Acquisition
Acted for First Ally Capital Limited on its acquisition of a majority equity stake in Mines.IO Nigeria Limited, a fintech leveraging artificial intelligence, data, and financial analytics for credit solutions to individuals and small businesses.
Fintech Commerce Platform: US$110 Million Series C (Unicorn)
Acted as Nigerian counsel to a leading fintech-enabled digital payments and commerce platform on its US$110 million Series C funding round with subsequent extensions contributing to a total Series C exceeding US$200 million and elevating the platform to unicorn status.
Client Quotes
“Aluko & Oyebode has an excellent team, with strengths in many areas including dispute resolution, maritime and corporate matters.” The Legal 500
“A highly resourceful and impressive team, widely recognized for litigation arising from ship arrests.” The Legal 500
Key Contacts
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Awards and Accolades
Recognised for advising across all aspects of shipping and aviation, from leasing, registration and financing to ship arrests, marine insurance, salvage, and collisions.
Chambers Global 2025
Tier 2, Shipping & Transport (Nigeria). Strong performance in ship arrests, contentious matters, and transport transactions.
Legal 500 EMEA
Aviation Team of the Year, evidencing sector depth across the wider shipping and transport value chain.
ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards 2025
