Principles of Corporate Law in Nigeria

Description

ABSTRACT

Book Review – Principles of Corporate Law in Nigeria

Dr. Wale Olawoyin, SAN

TITLE: PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE LAW IN NIGERIA
AUTHOR: PROFESSOR JOSEPH E.O. ABUGU
PUBLISHERS: MIJ PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHERS LIMITED, LAGOS
PAGES: 821
PRICE: NOT STATED.

INTRODUCTION

This book published by MIJ Professional Publishers Limited is one in a series of books published by legal luminaries, erudite scholars and jurists listed at page (v) of the book, with the same publishers, such as the late Judge T.O. Elias, the late Hon. Justice Kayode Eso, Hon. Justice Niki Tobi (rtd), the late Dr. T. Akinola Aguda, Professor M.I. Jegede and the late Professor Jadesola Akande. It is evident that Professor Abugu is in good company indeed.

The author himself aptly describes the primary focus of the book. He states that:

The book is designed to provide in-depth theoretical and practical insight of the subject to the law
researcher either as a student or practitioner. To judicial officers, it offers a rich resource material
expounding the subject and providing an analytical perspective from an academic. It is an effort to
provide a composite exposition of Nigerian corporate law principles against the background of its
rich English case law heritage and the Nigerian jurisprudence that has evolved over time.₁

Without doubt it is evident that the treatise would be attractive to a cross section of potential users well beyond the primary constituency that the author has envisaged.

REVIEW
It is generally said that a book review can be either descriptive in the sense that it gives essential information of the book by stating the perceived aims and purposes of the author and where necessary quoting striking passages of the book or critical in the sense that it describes and evaluates the book in terms of acceptable substantive content. It should also highlight any perceived defects in the book. I have in this review set out to find a middle ground between the two schools of thought. In doing so I have identified four major themes of discussion under which the 19 chapters of the book will be reviewed.

The title of the book ‘Principles of Corporate Law in Nigeria’ is immediately striking. The author sets himself apart from most Nigerian authored texts on the subject by adopting contemporary language of ‘corporate law’ rather than ‘company law’. This approach, as we shall see, is a common denominator running throughout the book. Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors and other stakeholders in the wider community interact with one another.

* Lecturer, University of Lagos & Partner, Olawoyin & Olawoyin, Lagos.

1. See page (vi) of the book