Mr. Emeka Akabogu (Nigeria) Mr. Emeka Akabogu is a commercial lawyer more widely recognised for his expertise in the field of maritime law and policy in Nigeria. He is the Senior Partner at the law firm, AKABOGU & ASSOCIATES, which is active in shipping, maritime, petroleum and international trade representation. He is the Chairman of OTL Downstream Development in Africa Ltd./Gte., a Pan-African initiative for promotion of downstream petroleum business and policy. He is also the Founder of Africa’s biggest downstream petroleum forum, OTL Africa Downstream. A litigator and arbitrator, he uniquely combines his legal skills with an indepth understanding of markets and operations in the shipping and petroleum sectors. Akabogu holds a Masters’ Degree with specialization in Maritime Laws from the University College London, and a Magister Juris. (M. Phil.) from the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), Malta, where he is currently concluding a Doctorate degree in International Maritime Trade. A British Chevening Scholar, he is the author of ‘Maritime Cabotage in Nigeria’, Editor of the Journal of Contemporary Nigerian Admiralty Law, and Publisher of ‘Marine and Petroleum Nigeria’. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Shipping and a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Energy Institute. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Centre for Petroleum Information and currently serves on the Executive Council of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association as Honorary Secretary.