Okechukwu is studying for his Ph.D. in Law at the University of Ottawa. His doctoral research focuses on the impact of regulation on the competitiveness of technology markets in Africa, aiming to offer insights to legislators and policymakers in Africa on how regulations may be calibrated to optimise the attractiveness of African technology markets.
The research selects tech regulations in Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa as case studies, not only because these countries are the technology hubs in Africa, but also because they represent the four cardinal directions of the continent, thereby providing the much-needed continental coverage for the research.
Graduating as the second-best student in his class with over 30 distinctions in his undergraduate subjects, Okechukwu achieved a First Class LLB from Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria, where he was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship for three consecutive years due to his outstanding academic performance. He also holds a Master of Law (LLM) degree from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. He is admitted to the Nigerian Bar and is undergoing the process of qualifying for admission to the Ontario Bar in Canada.
Okechukwu began his legal practice in the Lagos office of Aluko & Oyebode, one of West Africa’s leading law firms. As an Associate in this top-tier full-service law firm, he advised the firm’s clients in several commercial transactions, such as capital markets transactions, corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions.
He also worked as an Associate at Perchstone & Graeys in Lagos Nigeria, where he provided legal services to the firm’s clients in the practice areas of corporate finance, intellectual property and dispute resolution. Following his LLM graduation from Cambridge, he was employed as an Associate in the London office of Pogust Goodhead, an international litigation firm, where he worked with the firm’s team that litigated before the English courts, a multi-million-Pound class action against certain car manufacturers involved in the “Dieselgate Scandal”.
Okechukwu later relocated to Canada and briefly worked as a Legal Analyst at Sabio Law LLP, a Canadian boutique law firm located in Ontario, where he provided services to the firm’s clients in contractual transactions and in commercial litigation. Okechukwu enjoys travelling, exploring natural sites and different cultures.