Mfonobong Ukpe is a seasoned legal practitioner and the Associate Partner & Head of Corporate Practice at Manifield Solicitors. With a focus on banking, financial technology, capital markets, energy law, and contract management, Mfonobong delivers strategic legal counsel to financial institutions, fintech startups, infrastructure companies, and energy firms.

He brings over a decade of experience advising high-value, complex transactions across Nigeria’s finance and corporate sectors. His deep understanding of both legal structure and business strategy positions him as a trusted advisor to banks, sponsors, and corporate stakeholders.

Selected Project Highlights

Mfonobong has led or advised on several landmark projects, including:

• NIBSS (Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System) – IP advisory on 100+ proprietary products worth $250M+, BVN Licensing, Afrigocard deployment, and PAPSS integration.

• WTES Projects – Legal advisory on the acquisition of Verdant Microfinance Bank and negotiations with Safari China and Union Pay.

• Bud Telecoms & Sparkwest – Investment structuring for the Lagos Smart City Project.

• Princeps Holding – Oversight of the Mystash.ng acquisition, refinancing, and a ₦700M Series B Funding round.

• Source Bank – Full legal setup and licensing advisory.

• Calcot Technologies (UK) – IP security for the DIGISIGN platform.

• Emval Nigeria – Consortium negotiation with Friburge Oil & Gas for upstream and downstream projects.

• Afrexim Bank – Integration legal support with NIBSS into PAPSS (Pan-African Payment and Settlement System).

Mfonobong also offers legal counsel to leading fintechs such as Budpay, Credit Wallet, Deduckt, Source Bank, and DigiSign.