Firm’s General Counsel recognised in Legal 500’spowerlist
Okechukwu Eke, General Counsel of Moniepoint, has been named to the GC Powerlist: Nigeria 2026 by Legal 500, marking his second appearance on the prestigious list after his first recognition
Okechukwu Eke, General Counsel of Moniepoint, has been named to the GC Powerlist: Nigeria 2026 by Legal 500, marking his second appearance on the prestigious list after his first recognition in the inaugural 2024 edition.
The GC Powerlist: Nigeria recognises the most influential and innovative in-house counsel shaping legal strategy and corporate governance within the country’s leading companies.
Now in its third year, the 2026 edition highlights legal professionals navigating complex regulatory landscapes, advancing technological transformation and playing key roles in the commercial direction of their organisations.
Every year, Legal 500 invites law firm partners and in-house counsel to nominate lawyers who have been instrumental in driving their organisations and businesses forward.
In-house lawyers are recognised for shaping commercial strategy, developing outstanding technical solutions to complex issues, creating innovative structures that ensure legal functions support business growth, and designing models that other in-house counsel can emulate.
David Freeman, Global Business Development Manager at Legal 500, spoke about the significance of the GC Powerlist in Nigeria and the evolving role of in-house counsel as strategic leaders.
He highlighted the growing influence of general counsel in shaping governance, regulatory engagement and business transformation, setting a purposeful tone for the event.
Eke’s return to the 2026 list follows sustained achievements by Moniepoint’s legal function in the years since his first recognition.
Since joining the company in 2022, he has led a strong legal team providing proactive, commercially aligned legal support across the group’s banking, payments, credit and remittance businesses.
He has coordinated multi-jurisdictional due diligence, documentation review and structured governance approvals across Nigeria, the United States and the United Kingdom, enabling deals that have accelerated the company’s expansion and product innovation.
Under Eke’s direction, the legal team has also developed standardised agreements across Moniepoint’s product and service lines, contributing to its continued recognition as one of Africa’s fastest-growing companies.
“Being recognised on the GC Powerlist again is a reflection of the exceptional work of our entire legal team and the confidence Moniepoint places in us as strategic partners to the business.
“Our role has grown substantially from structuring complex cross-border transactions to embedding the legal function deeply into the company’s commercial and product operations.
“We continue to raise the standard for what in-house legal excellence looks like in Africa’s fintech sector,” said Okechukwu Eke, General Counsel, Moniepoint.
Notable legal professionals who made the list include Tochukwu Okezie, Chief Legal Officer & Company Secretary, Interswitch Group; Erhi Obebeduo, General Counsel & Company Secretary, Guaranty Trust Bank; Abisola Oshin-Gbadamosi, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Afya Care; Adeola Olumeyan, General Counsel, Head of Compliance and Risk, Africa, Junior Achievement Africa; Felix Chidozie Obiamalu, General Counsel, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit; Lanre Kuforiji, Legal Director, Inq. Nigeria; Sesan Sobowale, Head, Legal Services, Union Bank of Nigeria; and Yemisi Diya-Salawu, Director, Legal, IHS Towers.
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Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms and in-house lawyers across the world for over three decades through a comprehensive research programme assessing legal expertise in more than 150 jurisdictions.
The research draws on feedback from over 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers.
Since launching the Powerlist in 2013, more than 3,000 individuals, 2,000 teams and 100 law firms have been recognised across 38 regions and countries.
