Barrister Umar Mohammed Babangida, the General Manager, Legal Services NCDMB, is a highly experienced corporate lawyer with over 30 years cognate experience in Corporate & Commercial law, Property Law and Oil & Gas Law with specialization in Nigerian Content Law, Policy and Practice.
He joined the services of NCDMB in 2011 as a Deputy Manager Legal and pioneered the establishment of the Legal Services of the Board before he was joined by other staff. As the Deputy Manager and later promoted to Manager, Legal Services, Umar has been involved in providing Legal advice on all aspects of the implementation and interpretation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010. His transactional experience include provision of advisory services on the structuring of the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) and all its loan/partial guaranty transactions; NCDMB/BOI Nigerian Content Support Fund structuring; acquisition and documentation of Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme lands; initiation and start-up of the NCDMB Ministerial Regulations; preparation of Guidelines; litigation management; general legal advice; coaching and mentoring, among others.
In September 2017, Barrister Umar was seconded to serve as the General Counsel/Secretary Legal Services of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT’s equivalent of Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice). On this role, Umar functioned as the Chief Legal Officer of the FCTA, leading the Solicitor General, 5 directors and over 100 lawyers and other support staff in providing comprehensive legal cover and support to the Honourable Minister of the FCT and all the organs of the FCT. As a member/Secretary of the FCT EXCO, Umar was exposed to policy formulation and leadership issues at the highest level of FCT Governance and the complexities of managing a fast growing city like the FCT. Apart from pioneering innovative changes and restructuring of the Legal Services Secretariat for which he received written commendation from the Honourable Minister of Justice, Mallam Mohammed Musa Bello, Umar has also been involved in managing complex litigations pending in the courts and through other Alternative Dispute Mechanisms where he contributed immensely in resolving intractable conflicts as well as the drafting, amendment and review of laws, regulations, contracts and policies on a routine basis.
Upon completion of his secondment to the FCT in May 2019, Mr Umar was promoted to General Manger, Legal Service, NCDMB.
Before Joining NCDMB, Mr Umar had worked as Principal Partner, Capital Chambers Solicitors, Abuja, Chief Legal Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and Resident Legal Consultant, Legal Department, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Lagos among others
Barr Umar is a member of the Body of Benchers, the body with the highest distinction in the legal profession. He is also a member of several professional associations including the Nigerian Bar Association, the International Bar Association and the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators AIPN.
