| Yahaya Maikori | |
| Occupation: | Entertainment Lawyer |
| Known For: | • Co-founding Chocolate City • Co-founder and founder of the Global Gaming Company limited holding company for 360 Bet • African Poker tournament • Anambra Lotto • Kajola Lotto |
| Father: | Adamu Maikori |
| Mother: | Lai'atu Maikori (née Gyet Maude) |
Yahaya Maikori is an Attorney with core expertise in gaming, sports, technology, media & eCommerce with a focus on africanInvestments. He is the founder of the law firm Law Allianz and the co-founder of the record label Chocolate City.
Maikori graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University IleIfe; 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 LegaAdviser to Aso Savings and Loans Plc.[1] 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.[2]
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.[3]
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.[4] In 2020, he was elected Chairman of the Nigeria Esports Caretaker Committee and Kaduna State esports association as well becoming Vice Chairman of Sport Nigeriain 2021. He currently 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 (SBL) Nigeria Bar Association(NBA) he is currently a council member of the SBL(NBA).[5] [6]
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).[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] He chairs the Sports Thematic Group of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) and a member of the Sports Industry Working Group which has just delivered the draft sports industry policy for Federal Executive Counci’s approval.[10]
Professionally he advsed Adamawa State Government in its N20 billion Bond in 2010 and has been involved in some of the largest gaming related mergers & acquisitions in Africa; these include 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 ongoing acquisition by draft kings.[11] [12]
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) & Caesar’s Entertainment limited run “Jacaranda casinos”,“Lagos Poker Club” & “Gold rush casino “respectively.[13] [14]
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.[15] [16] [17]