Legal & Compliance Lead – Banking & FinTech

About the role

The Legal & Compliance Lead will shape and oversee the bank’s legal and regulatory framework, providing strategic advisory, contract management, and compliance oversight across all business lines. This senior position works closely with product, operations, and risk teams to embed robust governance and mitigate legal and regulatory risks in a fast‑moving digital banking environment.

Key responsibilities

• Provide legal advisory, draft and negotiate contracts, and manage litigation matters.
• Ensure compliance with CBN regulations, NDIC requirements, BOFIA, AML/CFT guidelines, NDPA and other applicable laws.
• Oversee KYC/CDD processes, customer onboarding controls, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening and suspicious transaction reporting.
• Conduct compliance reviews, identify regulatory gaps, implement corrective actions and maintain compliance registers.
• Advise on new products, partnerships and strategic initiatives to minimise legal and regulatory risk.
• Coordinate regulatory examinations, audits, statutory reporting and engagements with regulators and external counsel.
• Develop and deliver compliance awareness programs and promote an ethics‑driven culture.
• Drive continuous improvement of compliance processes and support automation of monitoring activities.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Law (LL.B) and called to the Nigerian Bar.
• 3–5 years of experience in legal, compliance, AML or risk roles within banking, fintech or regulated financial institutions.
• Proven track record in contract drafting, regulatory compliance, KYC/CDD and AML/CFT implementation.
• Strong knowledge of CBN regulations, BOFIA, NDIC, NDPA and related financial services legislation.
• Excellent analytical, investigative and stakeholder‑management abilities.
• High integrity, sound judgment and demonstrated leadership capability.

Required skills

• Microsoft Office
• Compliance monitoring tools