As Africa’s legal industry undergoes rapid transformation, one thing is clear: firms that will define the future are those that combine deep local expertise with pan-African reach, innovation, and a strong talent pipeline. For Joke Aliu, Co-Managing Partner at Aluko & Oyebode | ALN Nigeria, this vision has guided her leadership since stepping into the role in 2023. In this conversation, she reflects on the defining moments of her tenure so far, the firm’s commitment to client-centred innovation and sustainable growth, and how Aluko & Oyebode is shaping the future of legal practice across Nigeria and the continent. Sunday Okobi brings the excerpt

You’ve been Co-Managing Partner at Aluko & Oyebode since 2023. Looking back, what have been the most defining moments of your leadership so far?

Stepping into this role on January 9, 2023, as co-Managing Partner has been a journey marked by several defining moments. Perhaps the most symbolic was our 2024 rebrand to Aluko & Oyebode | ALN Nigeria. This was not just a new name; it was communicating a firm promise to our clients: seamless, pan-African execution across 15 jurisdictions. Our membership and leadership within the Africa Legal Network are foundational to this promise. With our Of Counsel, Gbenga Oyebode, as ALN’s Chair and my role on the ALN Board, we ensure that Nigeria has a place in shaping the future of legal services on the continent. Another moment was in February 2024, when we appointed five homegrown partners, achieving a gender-balanced partnership of 12 women and 12 men. This was a demonstration of our commitment to excellence and growth, and this commitment also explains why clients trust our ability to shape the market.

Since taking on the role, what strategic priorities have you focused on to strengthen the firm’s position in Nigeria’s legal market?

Since I stepped into this role, our priorities have been laser-focused on a dual vision: cementing our position as Nigeria’s undisputed top-tier law firm while simultaneously leading the future of legal practice across Africa. We achieve this through three core pillars: client-centred innovation, nurturing future-ready talent, and driving sustainable growth. For us, innovation is about delivering measurable value by deploying the right technology and resources. We have deployed a suite of integrated tools to enhance both transparency and efficiency. This approach has earned us accolades like being referred to as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ by key clients. We know that our greatest assets are the brilliant minds that build our brand every day. We invest deeply in our people, starting with our Early Career Programme designed to equip them at the start of their careers, and our structured mentorship programmes alongside other support programmes. Finally, we believe in sustainable growth, measured not just by our balance sheet, but by our impact. Thus, our financial strength is matched by our commitment to ESG, from adopting solar power to championing the single-use plastics bill. We scale this vision across the continent through the ALN. This holistic strategy, which fuses local strength with pan-African leadership, is why we consistently maintain our Tier 1 rankings. In all these areas, our objective is unequivocal market leadership, not mere participation.

The legal industry is undergoing shifts in client expectations, technology adoption, and regulatory complexity. How is the firm adapting to stay ahead?

The legal industry is indeed transforming, and we are intentionally staying ahead of these shifts by embedding a forward-looking, client-centric ethos into what we do. Our first focus is on smarter execution. We believe technology must serve the client, not the other way around. We have fully integrated a suite of tools, including our due diligence platform and legal knowledge management system, the litigation schedule platform, CRM, and Enterprise Resource Planner to deliver faster, higher-quality work and greater cost predictability for our clients. Beyond the transactional, we focus on creating deeper partnerships. We do this through insight-led engagement at scale, from our 100 Women GC roundtables, our Finance Masterclass for in-house counsel, to our Project Finance training that reached over 250 attendees. This commitment to building our clients’ own capacity positions us as true strategic partners. Finally, we help our clients to future-proof their businesses. Our bespoke Telecommunication, Media, Entertainment & Technology, Fintech, and Governance, Risk & Compliance practices are designed to navigate complex regulatory terrains, while our work on ESG policy, such as drafting the single-use plastics bill, helps align client goals with societal progress. This extends to the entire business ecosystem.

Aluko & Oyebode has been instrumental in shaping legal frameworks in sectors like energy, telecoms, and finance. How do you balance your clients’ priorities and the overall good of Nigeria?

We are guided by our core values. However, we do not see our clients’ priorities and the overall good of Nigeria as a balancing act. We see it as a single act of building a stronger Nigeria. Advancing our clients’ commercial success and strengthening Nigeria’s legal and economic ecosystem are not conflicting goals. 

Every time we help strengthen Nigeria’s rule of law, we are also protecting the very investments and opportunities our clients entrust us with. That is what responsible lawyering is. Therefore, for us, leadership is not a choice between legal excellence and societal impact; it is the fusion of the two. This philosophy is embedded in every aspect of our work. We believe a thriving private sector and a strong national economy are two sides of the same coin. When we advise on finance that builds markets, such as the expansion of key financial institutions across Africa, we are helping a champion deepen the region’s financial system. When we provide regulatory foresight to one of Nigeria’s first MVNO licence holders, we enable principled innovation while ensuring market stability. Even in contentious matters, we pair vigorous advocacy with a profound respect for the rule of law. Beyond our commercial mandates, we have a deep commitment to shaping a sustainable future. This is an active investment in our nation’s framework. Apart from contributing to the global Oxford Net Zero Policy Survey launched at the COP29, we are partnering organisations such as the Nigerian Conservation Foundation and Teach For Nigeria, reaching approximately 800 students. Ultimately, legal excellence is not an end in itself but a tool for national development.

As part of the Africa Legal Network (ALN), Aluko & Oyebode can serve clients across 15 African jurisdictions. How has this network enhanced your client service and deal execution capabilities?

In today’s interconnected Africa, legal advice cannot stop at the border, and our membership in ALN is our strategic answer to this reality. The ALN promise is simple but powerful

 It provides immediate, seamless access to top-tier legal expertise across key jurisdictions on the continent. It combines global expertise and continental reach with deep local know-how to help clients navigate business opportunities and risks in Africa. The benefits are tangible: helping to drive increased client referrals alongside our existing partners and delivering significant collaboration. It has transformed our client service and deal execution capabilities, acting as a genuine force multiplier for the businesses we serve. This has been proven in market-defining transactions, and our ability to execute flawlessly on complex, multi-jurisdictional mandates is a direct result of the ALN structure. It allows us to deliver on our core promise: maintaining local precision while leveraging continental scale. Our position within ALN ensures that the network is not just present in Nigeria, but is responsive to it, translating our clients’ needs directly into network-wide value. This deep integration is our competitive advantage in the pan-African legal market.

 In a highly competitive legal market, what sets Aluko & Oyebode apart, and how are you building on that advantage?

Our competitive edge is the fusion of our deep understanding of the market in which we operate, our legacy of distinction, the trust we have earned in the market, and the culture of excellence we actively cultivate internally. First, we are defined by a legacy of remarkable depth and excellence, shaped by a strong commitment to nurturing and mentoring talent. Notably, our disputes practice has produced six homegrown Senior Advocates of Nigeria as a result of this dedication. This is the standard we hold ourselves to, and it has been consistently validated by our Tier 1 rankings in Chambers Global, IFLR1000, and Legal500, including a Chambers Global 2024 Spotlight for our International & Cross-Border Capabilities. In addition to this legacy which creates a lasting impact, trust is earned daily by delivering on the market’s most defining mandates, from landmark transactions including high-profile corporate restructurings and multi-billion-dollar financings, to high−stakes contentious matters like the multi-million dollar IP dispute involving a multinational energy drink brand, and the first series of crypto-currency related disputes in Nigeria against the world’s leading crypto-currency exchange. This impact is recognized with prestigious awards like Lexology’s Law Firm of the Year and IFLR Africa’s M&A Deal of the Year.

Looking ahead, what key milestones or achievements will define success for you and your leadership team over the next year?

 Our focus for next year is anchored on three pillars: seamless continuity, strategic growth, and sustainable impact. Leadership at our firm is about strengthening the hands of those who carry it forward. Our September 1, 2025, transition was a testament to our determination to build an institution that outlives its founders. With Olubunmi Fayokun as Chair, Adeolu Idowu joining me as Co-Managing Partner, and the continued support of our two Of Counsel, Gbenga Oyebode and Kofo Dosekun, and our erstwhile Co-Managing Partner, Reginald Udom, we are ensuring a smooth execution of our long-term vision. Secondly, we are targeting strategic growth. Growth for us is multi-dimensional: it is about deepening our reach across Africa and our expertise in the sectors that will define its future. Success will also be measured by achieving market leadership in our thematic growth lanes. Finally, we are committed to sustainable impact. Ultimately, our most important legacy will be the talent we nurture and the positive impact we leave on our community. We therefore continue to build our talent pipeline. On the ESG front, key milestones will be advancing the single-use plastics bill and executing the four pillars of our ESG Action Plan, which is designed to advance 11 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This is how we measure true success.

 Aluko & Oyebode is known for developing some of the country’s top legal talents. How will talent development and succession planning feature in your leadership priorities?

For us, talent development is the bedrock of our entire strategy and not just an HR function. Our reputation is built by our people, and my leadership priority is to ensure that we continue to be the firm where Nigeria’s top legal minds choose to build their careers. We continue to build a structured and transparent career pathway. We are also building our early-career pipeline, with our trainee-lawyer intake growing by 65 percent since 2022 and our internship program consistently expanding. We have also launched an internal one-on-one mentorship programme. We understand that you cannot have a high-performance culture without a high-support culture. We therefore invest intentionally in our people’s well-being through comprehensive programmes covering both their physical and mental health. This holistic support is the foundation upon which excellence is built. Succession planning is demonstrated through the conscious growth of our leadership pipeline. I believe in leadership modelling, and my service on the Firm’s Management Board, the ALN Board, the Nile University Governing Council, and engagements like the WIPO IP & Women Summit, the 2026Planning Committee of the Riyadh International Disputes Week, illustrate the diverse pathways we encourage. But the clearest signal is our firm’s new leadership team. Our recent appointments are the ultimate proof that the path from trainee to partner and to the very top of this firm is real and attainable. Having myself started in the Firm as a first-year Associate over 20 years ago, I represent the reality and expression of this promise.