Femi Omere is a Nigerian/UK national, he is the Founder and Managing Director of Hosted in Africa, an entity established late 2020 that seeks to assist the popularisation of Afrocentricity and its excellence as a force for global good.
Femi was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1999, he practised in the UK for over a decade as a human rights specialist and remains an Associate Member of Garden Court Chambers London. Femi has been resident within the East African region since 2008 and in addition to providing legal services in the cross over between human rights and corporate commercial matters, he has become a recognised expert legal trainer.
Femi has recently assisted the International Senior Lawyers Project, the Uongozi Institute, the Law School of Tanzania, Strathmore University, A4ID, and the African Legal Support Facility, in respect of their capacity building efforts. Between 2017-2020, Femi, as its first Executive Director, played a leading role establishing the ALN Academy and continues to provide the organisation with independent advisory services.
Summary Career Highlights
- Became the first Executive Director for the Africa Legal Network Academy (ALN Academy), 2017 - 2020, leading the efforts to incorporate the organisation, inclusive of establishment of its first board of directors, including independent members. During tenure, played a central role in designing, managing and promoting the organisation, driving its skills and capacity building trainings and thought leadership programmes.
- Invited public speaker at a number of high-level African conferences organised by the likes of the African Arbitration Association (AfAA), the East Africa Law Society, Advocates 4 International Development, East African International Arbitration Conference, and the International Seniors Lawyers Project (ISLP), 2017 - 2020.
- Conceived and organised a unique dramatization piece presented at the plenary session of the 2019 World Justice Forum in the Hague, which considered the issue of Africa’s adherence to the rule of law; and also provided a working session with representatives of the U.S Institute of Peace, regarding Systems Change and the Law in African Courts.
- Participated as an invited expert to the Multi-Stakeholder Workshops on the Kenyan Transparency and Accountability in Petroleum Programme, organised by Strathmore Extractives Industry Centre (SEIC), supported by the World Bank, 2019.
- Facilitated training provided by the Uongozi Institute in Tanzania on oil and gas contract negotiation skills to groups of senior public sector officials from across Africa, 2018.
- Invited and became an active member of a Working Group to the Lord Holmes Committee on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), considering issues regarding the applications of DLTs in legal services, related fields and international collaboration, 2019 - 2020.
- Provided high-level advisory work for global telecommunications and mobile application service providers seeking entry into and/or further cementing existing service delivery presence, in the East Africa region, 2016 - 2017.
- Advised a number of global car manufacturing companies on the fair competition regimes in East Africa, 2016-2017.
- Provided Advisory work, to new entrants and existing entities in the upstream petroleum sector in Tanzania, on the overhaul of the former regulatory framework brought about by a series of new pieces of legislation, 2016 - 2018.
- Visiting legal advocacy trainer to the Law School of Tanzania – delivering professional legal ethics and civil litigation and advocacy training, 2013 - 2015.
- Successfully delivered a two-day international conference comprising domestic, regional and international expert presentations and facilitated workshops, on the extractive industries, land rights and usage, and anti-bribery and corruption, hosted by the Law School of Tanzania, 19-20 November 2014.
- Designed and delivered the pilot human rights in practice module for the Law School of Tanzania, 2011, focusing on the African system of protection.
- Chosen by the ISLP to deliver a two-week training programme and on-going mentoring to provincial managers and legal officers on aspects of case management and best practice for the South African Human Rights Commission, delivered at its head offices in Johannesburg and 3 provincial offices, Durban, East London and Cape Town 2011.
- Secured a rare rule 39 interim measure in the case of Irving v UK [2010] (European Court of Human Rights), in respect of a non-torture case, thus preventing the removal of the applicant from the UK pending the outcome of the substantive case in relation to his claimed right to family life.
- Facilitated/lectured on behalf of UNICEF and the African Child Policy Forum - in a series of seminars to government ministries and other stakeholders in Tanzania, on the harmonization of domestic children’s legislation with international/regional human rights instruments December 2008.
- Provided case management advisory legal work on various arbitral matters acting for the Government of Tanzania in disputes regarding public private partnerships, including in the case of TANESCO v Independent Power Tanzania Limited (dispute involving supply of electricity before ICSID); and Sterling Civil Engineering Ltd v GOT Ministry of Works Ad Hoc Arbitration under EDF Rules, in relation to a major road construction project dispute 2008.
- Lead counsel in Gedow and Ors [2006] EWCA Civ 1342 (Court of Appeal) on the residual risks to persons, including lone female returnees, facing removal to Mogadishu and on whether clan militia protection amounted to state protection in treaty law.
- Junior counsel in Hoxha [2005] 1 WLR 1063 (House of Lords), on treaty interpretation regarding the Refugee Convention and on whether sexual violence should be regarded as a weapon of war.
