Aisha Hassan-Baba, OON

Ms. Aisha Hassan Baba, OON is the founding and Managing Partner of EBO, HASSAN BABA & CO. Aisha was admitted to practice law in Nigeria in 1981 and in the ensuing 35 years thereafter, served in very senior and sensitive positions in both federal and state public service of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, notably as Deputy Director Public Prosecution, Director, Legal Services under the Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Federal Legal Aid Council (now Commission), Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, and as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Anambra State.

Aisha is a trained Legal Draftsman and Contract Negotiator and has worked as co-chair of the Committee on High Profile Federal Bills, notably the production of the final draft copy of the National Competition and Consumer Protection Bill and the National Competition and Consumer Protection Policy in 2014/15. She chaired the Committee that drafted the Nigerian Local Content in the non-oil Sector Policy 2014 and led the team that designed a model Investment Protection Agreement for the Nigerian Government that was approved by the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice in 2014. In 2013/2014, she led the team that developed a model draft Automotive Bill for the Nigerian Automotive Council (as it then was), steered the Federal Government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee that worked with the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN) in 2013 to finalise the draft Nigerian Insolvency Bill and advised on the legal documentation for the setting up of the Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO), working with UNIDO.

Aisha co-chaired the Committee that developed the Nigerian Industrial Development Plan (NIRP) draft Bill 2014, advised on the legal Documentation of the Cotton, Textile and Garment Agreement between the Federal Government and Vlisco Group. She was the lead negotiator for the Federal Government of Nigeria in the negotiation of the IPPA between the FGN and the Kingdom of Qatar, Canada and Brazil from 2012 to 2014 as well as served as the lead delegate of the Nigerian Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation to the legal review of the draft Trade Facilitation Agreement to the WTO Headquarters in Geneva 2014, and chaired the Inter-Ministerial Committee set up by the Federal Government to review the Pioneer Status Administration 2014 under the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).

In recognition of her diligence, passion and contribution to the public service of the Federation, Aisha was conferred with the National Productivity Order of Merit Award in 2001 and the National Honours, Officer of the Order of the Niger, (OON) in 2005.

Aisha is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Commonwealth Bar Association, Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UK. She currently serves on the Board Audit Committee, the Board Governance Committee and the Finance & General Purpose Committee of the Board.