Davidson Oturu

Davidson is an experienced corporate lawyer, financier and investor. He was for several years a partner at AELEX, a leading law firm in Nigeria and Ghana, where he headed the firm’s Startups, Innovation and Technology Practice. 

He has close to twenty years experience advising established businesses and startups in different areas involving mergers & acquisitions, regulatory compliance, law and management.

He  provided practical advice to clients in a variety of industries including fintech, media, telecommunications, information technology, private equity, financial services and capital markets.

Some of his notable activities include his appointment to the Presidential Advisory Council that conceptualized the Nigeria Startup Act, one of the most prolific laws that directly addresses the regulatory and financial challenges that affect tech-enabled startups. He also  led the team that drafted the Nigeria Startup Act and coordinated several stakeholder engagements where he broke down the importance of the Act to Nigeria’s startup ecosystem.

He was also a member of the Committee set up by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that created a framework for the use of fintech in the Nigerian capital market. They provided recommendations on several areas that fall under the regulation of SEC such as robo advisory, virtual assets and crowdfunding.

Davidson serves as an advisor to several organisations, including tech-enabled startups, and also sits on the board of notable companies as a non-executive director. He mentors entrepreneurs and founders on regulatory compliance, IP and startup related issues. He invests in early stage startups and is also presently a mentor at the Founder Institute, an international pre-seed accelerator.

He has been ranked in several global directories such as Who’s Who Legal, ILFR 1000 and Chambers & Partners. He also writes in different journals, texts and publication platforms and is a frequent speaker at local and international events.

Davidson has an LL.B from University of Ibadan, an LL.M in International Business Law from University of Cumbria, and an MBA from Queen Mary University of London. He also has several certifications in business management, intellectual property, data protection, fintech and cybersecurity.