Speaker details

Biography

Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN, fondly known as ‘J-K’, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986, became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1998 & was admitted to the Bar of England & Wales in 2008. A graduate of the University of Maiduguri, he is now a Part-Time Lecturer and a PhD Student in Energy & Natural Resources Law & Policy at the Nile University of Nigeria. He earlier on obtained a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from Keble College, Oxford (2006), completed training at the Institute for Public-Private Partnerships in the USA (2009), and undertook a course in regulation at the London School of Economics (2010). Elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1998, J-K has served as external solicitor to several commercial and development banks, adviser to multinational corporations, and lead counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and major political parties. He was a Legal Consultant to the Bureau of Public Enterprises & National Council on Privatization. A Chartered Arbitrator, J-K is listed in Who’s Who Legal as an arbitration expert. He currently chairs the Board of Trustees of the Janada International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (JICAM) and previously chaired the Abuja Chapter of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. J-K is registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission as a Capital Market Consultant and was appointed Liquidator for the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and Security Assurance Plc. In 2019, he was also appointed Receiver by GTBank in a significant loan recovery case. His legal expertise has been sought internationally, including in litigation involving a major aircraft manufacturer in France. He served as Chairman of the EFCC Legal Team and chaired the Presidential National Working Group on the Rome Statute Domestication in Nigeria. He was a Federal Commissioner of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and has held board positions with Diamond Pension Fund Custodian and the University of Benin Governing Council. J-K is a Life Bencher and in 2021, he was appointed by Body of Benchers to chair the Mentoring Committee for Young Lawyers. In recognition of his service, he has been honored with two Nigerian national awards: MFR n 2004 and OFR in 2014. A dedicated family man married to Christine, he is blessed with 6 children 2 of whom are lawyers (Madu & Lamar), 2 step children and two grandchildren. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading, traveling, chess, badminton, golfing, hiking, swimming & fishing.