Dr. Tominiyi Owolabi

Managing Partner Olaniwunajayi

Dr. Tominiyi Owolabi is the Managing Partner at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, a leading full-service commercial law firm located in Lagos (Nigeria) and London (United Kingdom). He is widely recognized for his coveted expertise in the energy sector and is one of the foremost lawyers and prominent figures in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.  

Tominiyi holds an MBA from Manchester Business School and a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from the University of Liverpool. In 2011, he was a recipient of the Eisenhower Fellowship for International Leadership. He has over 25 years of expertise providing invaluable counsel on some of the largest, most complex and market-defining energy transactions in the Nigerian market. Throughout his extensive career, he has played a pivotal role in the significant advancements made in Nigeria's oil and gas sector, earning him a prominent position at the forefront of the industry.  

His impressive track record includes overseeing high-profile projects such as the development and financing of crude oil refineries, natural gas liquefaction trains, gas processing plants and large-scale development projects. His expertise also includes advising on mergers and acquisitions in the energy sector. Notably, he led the landmark transitioning of Nigeria’s national oil company – the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – into a private entity in furtherance of the Nigerian Petroleum Industry Act 2021. He also led the team that advised Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) on the ground-breaking seventh liquefaction natural gas project (Train 7 Project), including the US$3 billion hybrid financing for the Train 7 Project.  

Having built a reputation for simplifying complex commercial deals, he is the go-to expert and trusted adviser to key players in the oil and gas industry including government entities, international and indigenous oil companies, investors, lenders, national oil corporations and international law firms. He has been credited by his diverse clients as “…standing out for his incredible power of analysis” and has been ranked by reputable international directories as a leading lawyer in Nigeria.