A Change of Guard: Olumide Akpata Replaces Lekwot as Chairman of Ellah Lakes Plc. Board

Ellah Lakes Plc., a Nigerian agriculture business currently specializing in the oil palm value chain – with  plantations in Edo and Delta States – has announced the appointment of Lagos lawyer, Olumide Akpata as the new Chairman of its Board of Directors, following the resignation of General (Rtd.) Zamani Lekwot, a former military governor of the old Rivers State.

In a statement published on the website of the Nigerian Bourse, the company’s directors commended Lekwot for his meritorious service to the company and wished him more success in his future endeavours.

Akpata, is a partner at a leading Nigerian law firm, Templars. He has over two decades experience in corporate and commercial law and has been recognized by IFLR 1000, as a leading Mergers and Acquisition lawyer in Nigeria and by Chambers and Partners as having experience in advising clients on various aspects of Nigerian Corporate Law.

The immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Section on Business law (NBA-SBL) on whose Council he currently sits, Akpata regularly advises local and international corporations on the impact of Nigerian Law on their investments and/or operations in Nigeria particularly regarding:

• The Establishment of Local Subsidiaries;
• Corporate Governance and Compliance;
• Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring;
• Labour And Immigration; and
• Regulatory Issues and Tax.

Akpata is often called upon to speak at local and international conferences and seminars. He is also the Vice-Chair (West-Africa) of the International Bar Association’s Africa Regional Forum.

In 2018, he was nominated, alongside other leaders of the Nigerian business community, to serve as a member of the pioneer United Nations Nigerian Humanitarian Fund Private Sector Initiative Steering Group.

Ellah Lakes Plc. has an extensive interest in the deployment of high-quality seedlings, mechanized tools and professional farming practices to improve Nigeria’s oil palm value chain. Its vision is to create enormous social and economic benefits in the form of employment opportunities, reduced pressure on foreign exchange reserves, and lower the lead time for manufacturers that utilize oil palm derivatives.