Emeka Ezekwesiri, Senior Associate

Senior Associate

About
Ezekwesiri is a Senior Associate in the Energy, Project Finance and Tax practice groups at G. Elias. He combines his experience across all three practice groups in delivering excellent legal service to his clients. His specialties cut across both the electric power sector and the oil and gas sector; and extend to project finance for both greenfield and brownfield projects. His tax work extends to all categories of corporate taxation, particularly income tax, value-added tax and capital gains tax. With his background in tax and finance, Ezekwesiri brings fresh perspectives to the energy practice of the firm and ensures that the most tax-efficient structures are adopted in implementing energy-focused projects.

Contact
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/emeka-ezekwesiri-215757103/

Practice Groups
Energy
Finance
Tax

Experience
Emeka has advised on most of the firm’s innovative and precedent-setting transactions in the energy practice group in the last 4 years. He has advised across a wide spectrum of clientele: both local and foreign clients; conglomerates and behemoths, self-effacing fast-growing companies and startups. Set out below, are highlights of some of his major transactions:

advised Prima Corporation Limited on its purchase of about 10MW of power from Mikano International Limited for use in Prima’s premises;
advised the Federal Government of Nigeria, through NSIA, on the development of a 10MW solar electricity project in Kano;
advised Afreximbank in connection with the USD50 million facility for Geometric Power’s Aba Integrated Power Project, to be applied towards the completion of the Project;
advised Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company Limited on its guarantee of the financing of a hybrid (solar/gas) power project by Greenville LNG Company Limited;
advised All On Partnerships for Energy Access Limited by Guarantee, a Shell-funded impact investment company (involved in interventions to address access to energy challenge in Nigeria) on its multi-million dollars financings and investments in renewable energy projects in Nigeria;
advised BUA Group on their joint development (alongside international behemoth, Siemens) of a 900MW combined cycle electricity generating power plant;
advised a syndicate of lenders led by Standard Chartered Bank on its USD1.5 billion USD financing to NNPC;
advised a syndicate of lenders on its USD283 million to Green Energy International Limited on its development of an oil marginal field.
legal representation for two Nigerian subsidiaries of global oil giant, Mobil Unlimited, in court on tax claims by Akwa Ibom tax authority exceeding USD160million (circa N60bn) regarding an alleged shortfall in Pay-As-You-Earn-Tax and other tax remittances.
part of the team representing FBN Insurance (now Sanlam Insurance) at the tax appeal tribunal in connection with its tax dispute with the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
advised Massmart International Holdings Limited (Massmart) (operators of ‘Game’ retail store franchise) on the tax implications of each of the options available to it in connection with the rescue, restructuring (and alternatively liquidation) of its subsidiaries in Nigeria.
advised on the tax dimensions of the acquisition of Union Bank by Titan Trust Bank.