# Yahaya Maikori

Yahaya Maikori is a Nigerian attorney with core expertise in gaming, sports, technology, media & eCommerce with a focus on African investments. He is the founder of the law firm Law Allianz and the co-founder of the record label Chocolate City.

## Education

Maikori graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1993 and admitted as a solicitor to the Law Society of England and Wales in 2015. During the course of his professional career, he served as legal adviser to Aso Savings and Loans Plc. and company secretary to First Alliance Pension and Benefits Limited (now part of ARM Pensions). In 2022, he completed the Senior Executive Programme Africa (SEPA) at Harvard Business School, Boston.

## Career

Maikori is one of Africa’s leading solicitors for gaming, sports and media. He is a renowned thought leader and sought after African speakers in this converged space, currently serving as the africa legal adviser for iGaming business. He has presented several papers at industry conferences, works with some of Europe’s leading sports/gaming brands exploring opportunities in Africa and advises industry regulators across several jurisdictions.
He has been featured severally and his articles/interviews have been published in Casino review, iGaming times, igamingbusiness, America gaming lawyer and Sigma magazines etc. In 2020, he was elected chairman of the Nigeria Esports Caretaker Committee and Kaduna State esports association as well becoming Vice Chairman of Sport Nigeria in 2021. He serves as Chairman of the "Recreation and Sports” Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association; a two time chairman of the entertainment, media and sports committee of the Section of Business Law Nigeria Bar Association (SBLNBA) and a council member of the SBL(NBA).
In 2014, he was appointed to Digiteam (a Federal Government of Nigeria body saddled with the responsibility of driving Nigera’s migration from analogue to digital broadcasting). He was inducted into the International Masters of Gaming law (IMGL)in 2013 - an invite only global exclusive organization of gaming professionals. In terms of policy and advocacy, he has advised the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Nigeria Copyrights Commission (NCC), National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority Board etc. He also serves as a member of the Securities Exchange Commission “Blockchain and Virtual Financial Assets Framework Committee” a one time facilitator of the National Assembly Business Roundtable (NASSBER) on eBusiness and intellectual Property. He chairs the Sports Thematic Group of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) and a member of the Sports Industry Working Group which delivered the draft sports industry policy for the Federal Executive Counci’s approval.
Professionally, he advised Adamawa State Government in its 20 billion naira bond in 2010 and has been involved in some of the largest gaming related mergers and acquisitions in Africa; including Betting World South Africa’s acquisition of Sports bet Nigeria, Marathon bets acquisition of congress bet, Quanta acquisition of Naija Lottery, regulatory advisory services to Betkings for its $300,000,000 share sale to Multichoice, draftkings $3.3billion business combination with SBtech and another acquisition by draft kings.
As an entrepreneur he founded Global Gaming Company which works with regulators for revenue assurance, he was one time Chairman of Chocolate City Music (now part of Warner Music) which he co founded, and established Definitiv Media Limited, which operates the “Hyai FM” radio brand, Croccity 5 Aside Soccer League supported by FIFA foundation; while Leisure investment Capita Limited ( LIC) and Caesar’s Entertainment Limited run Jacaranda casinos, Lagos Poker Club and Gold rush casino respectively.

## Awards

Maikori is a recipient of several awards which include LegalMonthly’s “Entertainment Lawyer of the Year” Nigeria 2013, co-winner of the 2011 Omidyar/Legatum sponsored “Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship” held in Nairobi, Kenya and was recently recognized as a global leader in “sports & gaming” by Who is Who Legal 2021.