Adaku Ufere is an experienced international oil and gas lawyer with over a decade of legal experience. She is currently an energy practice leader at the Centurion Law Group, where she manages legal teams across Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Cameroon, Mauritius, South Sudan, and South Africa. Adaku has extensive experience in the energy sector, including oil and gas, and is an expert on the legal and commercial aspects of international contracts, international corporate frameworks, contractual management clauses, and key contract risks. She has worked with government agencies and ministries, as well as international and national oil companies. She has worked on product sharing contract negotiations and renegotiations, negotiating farm-ins with major international oil companies, legal framework and contract assessments, creating and assisting the implementation of contract management systems for government regulators, and cross-border negotiations. Adaku has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nigeria, a Bachelor of Laws from the Nigerian Law School, and a Master of Laws in Oil and Gas from the University of Aberdeen. Adaku is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, Young Women in Energy Association, and Ghana Selection Committee for the International Lawyers for Africa. She is an accredited mentor with the Women in International Affairs Network, certified chartered arbitrator, and an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the United Kingdom. She was named one of Nigeria's 40 Under 40 Leading Lawyers the 2016 Nigerian Legal Awards and was recognized as the 2017 Attorney of the Year at the African Legal Awards. She is also a nominee for Young African Professional of the Year at the 2018 African Leadership Awards and Nation Building Series. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Adaku intends to leverage her acquired knowledge and experience to increase participation of women in the energy industry, further girls’ education, achieve gender equality, empower women, and eliminate violence against women.

Last updated: 2018