Chinelo Ojike
Associate
Areas of Focus
- Renewable Energy
- Project Development
- Projects & Energy Transition
- Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage
- Private Capital
- Advises on energy and infrastructure finance transactions.
- Focuses on renewable energy projects and other investments supporting the energy transition.
Chinelo focuses on a wide range of complex corporate transactions, including, project financing, energy transition, infrastructure transactions and other general corporate matters.
Prior to joining Akin, Chinelo was an in-house legal consultant for Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund managers, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority. Prior to that, Chinelo was an Associate in an international law firm based in Nigeria.
Chinelo earned her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Nigeria, and her LL.M from New York University School of Law where she received NYU’s LL.M most prestigious scholarship; the Hauser Global Scholarship. She also received the George Colin Award for Distinction in the Traditional LL.M program and was awarded the International Finance & Development Fellowship for the World Bank Group.
- Represented the senior secured lenders in connection with a $400 million refinancing for gas peaker projects in the ERCOT region.
- Represented the lenders in connection with an $80 million revolving facility to finance purchase of receivables generated from sale of battery energy storage systems to power generation facilities.
- Represented the lenders in a $140 million senior secured revolving bridge facility for pre-NTP and equipment loans.
- Represented the lenders in connection with a $250 million facility to finance purchase of receivables to be delivered under an EPC.
- Represented the sponsor and project manager on the implementation of the $8.3 Billion Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund for the development of 5 critical infrastructure projects across Nigeria.*
- Represented the sponsor on the development of a $1.4 Billion integrated Ammonia and Fertilizer production plant in Nigeria.*
LanguagesIgbo
Igbo
EducationLL.M., New York University School of Law, with distinction, 2022
LL.B., University of Nigeria, summa cum laude, 2016
LL.M., New York University School of Law, with distinction, 2022
LL.B., University of Nigeria, summa cum laude, 2016
Bar AdmissionsNew York
Nigeria
New York
Nigeria
Publications
- Ezirigwe, C. Ojike, E. Amechi and A. Adewopo “Covid-19/Food Insecurity Syndemic: Navigating the Realities of Food Security Imperatives of Sustainable Development Goals in Africa”, (2020).
- Ezirigwe and C. Ojike, “Federalism Under Nigerian Constitutional Democracies: Balancing the Federating Rights”, in Nigerian Legal History, 2020, Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan and Adebambo Adewopo (eds), NIALS Press.
