Technology, Media & Digital Economy
Balogun Harold provides comprehensive legal counsel across Africa's technology, media, and digital economy sectors, with particular expertise in emerging technologies, digital media, and innovative business models. Our team serves technology start-ups, established tech companies, media organizations, gaming companies, and digital platforms navigating Nigeria's rapidly evolving digital landscape and international expansion opportunities. We specialize in technology law across African markets, advising on intellectual property protection, data privacy compliance, regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies, and cross-border digital transactions. Our digital media expertise covers content licensing, advertising regulation, and platform liability, while our technology practice addresses AI, blockchain, cloud computing, and cybersecurity challenges. With deep experience in Nigeria's tech ecosystem and international digital markets, we understand the unique regulatory, cultural, and commercial dynamics of Africa's digital transformation. Our team provides strategic counsel that balances innovation with compliance, helping technology and media companies scale while managing legal risks and protecting intellectual property in competitive global markets.
Our technology, media & digital economy practice combines deep industry knowledge with comprehensive legal expertise, serving clients across Nigeria and Africa. We understand the unique regulatory and commercial challenges facing businesses in this sector and provide strategic counsel that helps clients navigate complex legal landscapes while achieving their business objectives. Our team delivers practical, business-focused solutions that protect client interests while facilitating growth and innovation. We work with leading corporations, financial institutions, and investors to structure transactions, ensure regulatory compliance, and manage legal risks effectively.
With extensive experience representing clients in technology, media & digital economy matters, Balogun Harold has established itself as a trusted advisor in this sector. Our team's deep understanding of Nigerian law, combined with international best practices, enables us to provide strategic guidance that helps clients maintain competitive advantage while ensuring regulatory compliance. We work closely with clients to develop comprehensive legal strategies that align with their business goals and support long-term success in Nigeria's dynamic market. Our approach emphasizes proactive risk management, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning, enabling clients to make informed decisions and achieve their business objectives.
We support our Clients with:
Notable Experience
Fintech Securitisation Financings
Advised and acted on behalf of multiple fintechs on the negotiation and closing of senior structured securitisation financings of over $250 million, from international investors.
Venture Capital Transactions for Technology Companies
Advised and acted on behalf of multiple tech companies and venture capital investors, in connection with the drafting, negotiation and closing of multiple venture capital investments, including Series A & B Financings.
Nigerian Market Entry for Fintech Unicorn
Advised a leading fintech unicorn on market entry into Nigeria, including regulatory compliance, obtaining all necessary licenses, and establishing local operations in accordance with Nigerian legal and commercial frameworks.
Insights & Updates
What is a Permanent Establishment? Do you Have One?
If a foreign business has a Nigeria permanent establishment (PE) then the profits of the business that are attributable to that PE, either directly or indirectly, are chargeable to Nigeria tax.
New Digital Money Lender Regulations in Nigeria: Some Legal Issues
Nigeria’s consumer protection regulator, the FCCPC, recently published a Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework for Digital Lending (“Regulation”)[1] with the intent to regulate digital lenders in Nigeria.
Our Fundraising Round is Taking Longer Than Usual. What Options Do We Have?
If you are fundraising and your fundraising round is taking longer than usual, you may be heading towards a down round. In this update, we conclude that, whats key is for founders is to (a) think outside the box and not assume that venture capital is the only financing option available to them (b) review corporate strategy. Here are some options you may want to bear in mind, before considering a down round
What is a Down Round Financing? How Will a Down Round Financing Impact VCs & Founders?
What is a down round financing and how will it affect you? Tech start-ups and VCs often work with the assumption that the price of the shares sold in a later financing round will be higher than the price of shares sold in an earlier round.
Why Do I Need a Legal Opinion & Why is My Series A Investor Asking For One?
If you are raising a Series A Financing (or any priced equity around), US venture capital firms will typically ask you to provide a legal opinion, as one of the closing conditions for a venture capital financing.
Avoiding Permanent Establishment Risk - Nigeria's New Dependent Agents Rule
Presidential Order 5 has thrown up an array of contracting structures between local promoters and foreign OEMs and partners looking to bid for government contracts. These contractual arrangements are increasingly subject of litigation both from a taxation point of view and from the standpoint of counterparty liability and risk. Nigeria wholly consumes foreign technology and as such it is expected that such collaborations will continue.
Nigeria’s Proposed Internet & Social Media Regulation: Key Takeways
Nigeria has recently published a draft of its proposed social media laws. There are important thematic similarities between Nigeria’s social media laws and the proposed H.B. 20 in Texas, the European Digital Services Act, the UK Online Safety Bill and the Indian Intermediary Rules.
Why is the Nigerian SEC Regulating Digital Assets? What Do Fintechs Need to Know?
The Securities & Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has an inherent economic role of facilitating capital formation, meaning, from an economic standpoint, the SEC is also partly responsible for finding and regulating new and innovative ways by which members of the public pool capital together to invest in and promote economic activity. Within that context, the SEC’s decision to
Closing Technology Mergers & Acquisitions in Nigeria
Acquiring high-growth technology companies in Africa presents an opportunity for scale-ups and strategic investors to acquire more customers, increase revenue and also become more attractive to trade buyers or public markets. Our work with firms in the tech industry...
New Rules for Operating a Fintech in Nigeria
Between 2020 & 2021, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made significant changes to the legal and regulatory framework around the establishment and operation of Fintech companies in Nigeria. While a wave of reactions have trailed the recent changes by the CBN, we think
Buy Now Pay Later Offerings in Nigeria: Some Market Entry Considerations (Nigeria)
Africa presents an interesting proposition for point-of-sale financings commonly referred to as Buy Now Pay Later financing (BNPL). However, there are ..
Registering a Nigerian Venture Fund: Some Key Issues
Nigeria’s venture capital rules do not appear to have been designed to attract modern venture capital. That’s concerning because venture capital fund managers perform an ..