When legal brilliance meets bold ambition, the result is transformation—measurable, impactful, and far-reaching.
For Ozioma Agu, Partner at Nigeria’s Stren & Blan Partners, transformation isn’t just a catchphrase. It’s the blueprint behind every billion-dollar deal she leads, every policy she helps shape, and every infrastructure project she drives to fruition.
In a continent where energy access remains a pressing challenge and infrastructure gaps hinder growth, Agu’s expertise sits squarely at the nexus of finance, law, and sustainable development.
Through her leadership of the firm’s Energy, Finance, and Infrastructure Practice Group, she has carved out a space as one of Africa’s most formidable legal entrepreneurs in the energy ecosystem.
“Africa’s future lies in its ability to build and sustain smart energy infrastructure. The legal frameworks must not only support growth but actively enable innovation,” Agu asserts.
With over a decade of experience, Agu’s transactional portfolio reads like a playbook for large-scale transformation. She has advised on banking and project finance transactions worth over USD $3 billion, working with Nigerian and international financial institutions, export credit agencies, government entities, and private sector stakeholders.
From secured and unsecured cross-border lending to syndicated and structured finance, her track record includes some of the continent’s most high-impact deals.
Her advisory work isn’t just notable for its size—it’s recognized globally for its sophistication and influence.
Agu is no stranger to complexity. Her legal counsel has steered high-profile transactions, including the acquisition of major International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Nigeria, the financing of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) depots, and the structuring of funding mechanisms for key oil and gas players. These transactions are not only reshaping Nigeria’s energy architecture but also setting new standards for transparency and innovation.
Currently, she’s playing a central role in the development of a state and private sector-led electricity market in Eastern Nigeria, a project poised to democratize power access and encourage private investment in underserved regions.
Her passion for renewable energy is equally evident. Agu has been pivotal in advancing solar mini-grid initiatives, pushing for equitable electrification in off-grid communities—an often-overlooked segment of Africa’s energy challenge.
Beyond energy, Agu is helping redefine Africa’s infrastructure future.
Her legal counsel was key to a groundbreaking Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between a major telecoms provider and the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (RITC). This project marked a significant private sector intervention in national road development.
She also serves as a lead advisor on cross-border infrastructure projects, including the concessioning of a seaport in Libreville, Gabon, and an ongoing advisory role on a large-scale tin and columbite mining project in Northern Nigeria—positioning her as a continental force in infrastructure law.
Ozioma Agu’s impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. She has received IFLR1000 Rising Star recognitions for four consecutive years (2021–2024), is a recipient of the prestigious ESQ 40 Under 40 award, and has been consistently profiled by Legal 500 for her outstanding work in project finance and energy.
Most recently, in 2024, she was named one of the 25 Under 40 Energy Women Rising Stars by the African Energy Chamber, celebrating her as a dynamic force within Africa’s energy landscape.
“To be entrusted with the responsibility of shaping energy and infrastructure on this scale is not a privilege I take lightly. It’s about legacy—what we build today must outlive us,” she reflects.
Ozioma Agu embodies the new generation of African legal entrepreneurs—bold, solutions-oriented, and unafraid to tackle the continent’s biggest structural issues through innovation and policy.
Whether she’s advising on billion-dollar energy investments or championing access to electricity in rural communities, her work reflects a clear north star: empowering Africa through sustainable legal frameworks.
As the continent accelerates its energy transition and infrastructure ambitions, one thing is certain—Agu is not just part of the movement; she is leading it.
