Executive Members

Prof. Imran Oluwole Smith, SAN (President)

Prof. Imran Oluwole Smith is a Professor of Private and Property Law at the University of Lagos-Nigeria; a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales; and a Professorial Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London to date. He has taught and undertaken research in different aspects of Law such as Land Law, Equity and Trusts, Environmental Law, Planning Law and the Law of Credit and Security. He was the co-convenor of the Course: “Law and Development in Africa" between 2010 and 2012 at the School of Law, SOAS, University of London.

He has rendered consultancy services to Law firms and government establishments on different aspects of Nigerian law within and outside Nigeria, and served as expert in the areas of private and property law before the High Court of Justice in England He is an Arbitrator and Mediator of international repute and a Tax Law expert. Professor Smith is the Head of Chambers, ‘Wole Smith & Co.- a firm of Legal Practitioners in Lagos-Nigeria, and the Head, Smith & Co.- a firm of Legal Consultants in the United Kingdom.

Professor Smith has published widely in his areas of teaching and research. He is the author of the following books: “Practical Approach to Law of Real Property in Nigeria"; "Nigerian Law of Secured Credit"; and "The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Annotated". He contributed to, and edited many books including the following: "Essays on the Law of Landlord and Tenant in Nigeria"; “Law and Development in Nigeria"; “The Land Use Act: Twenty five years after"; “Secured Credit in a Global Economy"; “Law and Land Rights in Nigeria"; Essays on the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2012"; Essays on the Lagos State Mortgage and Property Law, 2010. He is currently, the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Private and Property Law and Chairman, Editorial Board of the Nigerian Banking Law Reports (a publication of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation). He has numerous articles in learned local and foreign Journals to his credit.

Amongst other positions, he was, at different times, the Head, Department of Private and Property Law, and Dean of Law at the Lagos State University and the University of Lagos respectively; Director of the Law Centre, Lagos State University; Director, LL.M and MLS Part time post graduate programmes at the Lagos State University; Member, School of Post Graduate Studies Board, University of Lagos; Member, Nigerian Council of Legal Education; Member of Council, Lagos State College of Education (now, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education). He has also served as a member of the Judicial Panel of Enquiry into Ajah land disputes in Lagos State.

Professor Smith is a Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK); Fellow, Chartered Taxation Institute of Nigeria; and a Notary Public for Nigeria.

He is a beneficiary of the Fellowship Award of the International Development Research Centre, Canada and an alumnus of the University of Lagos and of The Hague Academy of International Law, Netherland.