Albert Puja

  • Senior Legal Advisor
  • puja@graysilicon.com

Dr. Albert Puja is an accomplished lawyer with extensive experience spanning leading law firms, in-house legal departments, and academia.

Renowned for his analytical precision and strategic insight, Dr. Puja thrives in roles that demand complex problem-solving and sound judgment. A skilled communicator, he works effectively across multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.

Dr. Puja has collaborated with government and regulatory bodies on legislative drafting and policy initiatives. In academia, he has published extensively on the intersection of law and technology, and has taught and supervised postgraduate students.

He has been invited to deliver guest lectures at several prestigious institutions — including Tilburg University, the University of Pretoria, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and the University of Cape Town — on subjects such as data protection, trade finance, fintech regulation, artificial intelligence and the law, and crypto asset regulation.

  • Data Protection
  • Financial Services
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Tax Law
  • Corporate and Commercial Transactions
  • Technology Advisory and Contracts
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Former Group Head, Legal Advisory, Contracts and Data Protection for Eko Electricity Distribution Plc, Lagos, Nigeria
  • Delivered internal trainings, developed enterprise-wide data governance frameworks, oversaw compliance audits, and managed regulatory engagement related to data protection, for Eko Electricity Distribution Plc, Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Led legal advisory, transaction structuring, and contract management for over 10 complex projects, including a 30 MW embedded generation project, mini-grids, bilateral power purchase agreements, and Central Bank-led financing initiatives.
  • Part of the team that advised the Lagos State Government (Nigeria) on tax law reforms, including drafting proposed amendments to relevant instruments and laws.
  • Faculty Member, Global Centre for Fintech Innovations, Canada
  • Conducted legal due diligence for major transactions, including a US$251 million telecoms acquisition with multi-jurisdictional components.
  • Co-authored chapter on “Regulatory modernisation in response to digital transformation in South Africa’s banking sector” (2025).
  • Authored several chapters in Fintech Law and Regulation: An African Perspective (2023), including pieces on:
    • Revisiting Nigeria’s institutional structure of financial regulation in the era of fintech.
    • Adapting regulatory frameworks to cater to fintech’s risks.
    • Promoting factoring for SMEs in Africa beyond legal, tax, and regulatory interventions.
  • Co-authored “Setting the scene for the discourse on fintech law and regulation in Africa” (2023).
  • Journal article: “Sustaining access to finance for Africa’s SMEs during and post COVID-19: Factoring to the rescue” (2022).
  • As Visiting Researcher, authored journal articles focusing on considerations for African countries developing national fintech strategies and the regulatory environment for fintech startups in Africa.
  • Co-authored analyses on policy and regulatory developments shaping Africa’s fintech landscape (2024-2025 projections) for Fintech Magazine Africa.
  • Authored piece arguing that fintech solutions empower African SMEs with financing alternatives (Trade Finance Global).
  • Co-authored an article discussing the Protocol on Digital Trade and considerations for fintech in Africa (Afronomicslaw).
  • Doctor of Laws (LLD) University of the Western Cape, South Africa
  • Master of Laws (LLM) in International Trade, Business & Investment Law University of the Western Cape, South Africa
  • Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria.