Practice area 02
Banking and finance
Loans that close on time, security that holds when it is tested, and fintech licences that let you launch.
We act for commercial banks, development finance institutions, microfinance banks, fintechs and the companies that borrow from them. Most of our work is practical: getting a facility signed, getting security perfected, and getting a stuck loan back on track.
Security is where Nigerian deals most often go wrong. We register charges at the Corporate Affairs Commission, record interests on the national collateral registry, obtain consents for mortgages over land and keep a diary of every renewal, so the security is there on the day it is needed.
For fintechs, we prepare licence applications to the central bank, write customer terms that meet consumer protection rules and set up the agent and partnership agreements that payments businesses depend on.
The practice
Services, process and example fees
Lending
Term loans, revolving facilities, trade finance and asset finance, for lenders or borrowers.
Security
Debentures, mortgages, share charges and guarantees, registered and diarised.
Fintech
Licence applications, sandbox entries, customer terms and partnership agreements.
Restructuring
Standstill agreements, refinancing and work-outs that keep a business trading.
Recovery
Demand, receivership and court action when a borrower will not engage, with our disputes team.
- Day 1
Term sheet review
We flag the points that will slow the deal.
- Weeks 1 to 2
Documents
We draft or review the facility and security documents.
- Weeks 2 to 4
Conditions precedent
We collect board resolutions, consents and searches.
- After signing
Perfection
We register the security and send you a perfection report.
| Service | Scope | Example fee | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facility review for a borrower | Up to ₦500m facility | ₦650,000 | 1 week |
| Security perfection | Per security document | ₦300,000 plus filing fees | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Fintech licence application | Preparation and follow-up | ₦3,500,000 | 3 to 9 months |
| Debt restructuring | Standstill and amendment | From ₦1,500,000 | 4 weeks |
Example rates for this demo, plus VAT at 7.5 percent and government fees at cost.
Selected matters
Recent work (examples)
Acted for a lender group on a ₦12bn facility to a cement distributor, including security over 14 depots (example matter).
Obtained a payment service licence for an Abuja fintech serving market traders (example matter).
Restructured a hotel group’s loans after a difficult year, avoiding receivership (example matter).
Acts for lenders and borrowers on bilateral and syndicated facilities, security perfection, fintech licensing and debt restructuring.
The team
Who leads your banking matter
Partner
Adebola Ogunleye
Banking and finance
Associate
Uchenna Nwosu
Corporate and commercial
How we staff it
Adebola leads and signs off every piece of advice. Uchenna runs the matter day to day and is your first call. A pupil or NYSC member supports research and filings, supervised at every step.
If your matter touches other areas, Adebola brings in the right partner and keeps one fee estimate.
Questions
Asked often
Do you act for borrowers?
Yes. About half our banking work is for borrowers who want a fair deal and a lawyer who reads the small print.
What filing fees should I expect?
Government fees for registering security depend on the amount secured. We estimate them in our engagement letter and pass them on at cost.
Can you review a loan offer quickly?
A borrower review of a standard offer letter usually takes three working days.
Do you advise on non-interest finance?
Yes. We have structured murabaha and ijara facilities with banks that offer them.
Related
Areas that often work alongside this one
01
Corporate and commercial
From the day you register the company to the day you sell it, with clean records in between.
02
Real estate and construction
Checks before you pay, consent before you build, and contracts that keep a project on schedule.
03
Energy and natural resources
Licences, gas, power and mining, handled by lawyers who have sat across the table from regulators, lenders and host communities.
Consultations
Book a consultation with the right partner
Forty-five minutes, in chambers in Gwarinpa or by video, for ₦50,000 (example rate), credited to your first invoice. We run a conflict check before we meet.
