JUNE 2015, London – Oghogho Akpata, Managing Partner at Templars, on 4 June 2015 delivered an incisive paper on the regulatory and industry responses in Nigeria to the sharp decline in oil prices globally. The occasion which was the 5th edition of the Oil and Gas Law conference organised by the Institute for Energy Law (IEL) and International Bar Association’s Section on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL), took place at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel, London, England.

Oghogho who represented the African region on a panel made up of other renowned experts from Europe and Asia spoke on diverse topical issues including the depletion of Nigeria’s revenue and foreign reserves, the attempt by the Nigerian Government to claw back certain pioneer status incentives initially granted to companies in Nigeria, recent efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria to stabilise the Naira and Nigeria’s foreign reserves through its “de-dollarization” and utilisation of export proceeds directives, the impact of the oil price plunge on mergers and acquisitions and fund raising in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

The IEL/SEERIL Oil and Gas Law Conference is a biennial event, which attracts legal professionals from Africa, Europe and the United States, and provides a forum for discussion of current issues in oil and gas law around the world. Other topics this year include: Mastering parallel litigation, arbitration, regulatory and criminal proceedings, Frontier shale opportunities, Alternative forms of finance for oil & gas companies and Mature basin legal challenges.