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Port Harcourt is the capital and largest city of Rivers State, Nigeria, and the fifth-largest city in the country. Founded in 1912, it is Nigeria’s primary oil-refining city and has two main oil refineries located in Eleme. Both refineries process approximately 210,000 barrels of crude oil a day and are operated by the Port Harcourt Refining Company. As the center of Nigeria’s oil economy, the city continues to benefit from its association with the petroleum industry and has, in recent years, undergone impressive large-scale modernisation and urbanisation. 

Rivers State is one of the wealthiest states in Nigeria by GDP, largely due to foreign exchange revenue from the oil industry, with crude oil being its principal export earner. In addition, the Port Harcourt’s deepwater facilities are responsible for the export of palm oil, palm kernels, and timber from the surrounding area, coal from Anambra state, tin and columbite from the Jos Plateau, and, since 1958, petroleum from fields in the eastern Niger River delta. Port Harcourt has bulk storage facilities for both palm oil and petroleum.

In March 2021, the government launched a US$ 3.2 billion project to reconstruct the 1443km Port Harcourt – Maiduguri gauge line from the south to the northeast of the country. The redeveloped line will have an increased capacity to support the advancement of Port Harcourt as a regional and international transportation hub. 

In April 2021, Dentons combined with leading Nigerian law firm Adepetun, Caxton-Martins, Agbor & Segun ("ACAS-Law") on the 30th anniversary of ACAS-Law’s founding. This historic combination is the first of its kind in Nigeria and the result of longstanding and solid relationship, developed over several years, between the two firms. 

Dentons ACAS-Law comprises 54 lawyers who have developed considerable legal expertise and accumulated a wealth of knowledge covering various sectors of the Nigerian economy. The firm’s lawyers provide seamless services across its head office in Lagos and branch offices in Port Harcourt and Abuja and are qualified to practice as barristers and solicitors in all the States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Dentons ACAS-Law is recognized as the market leader in oil and gas advisory services in Nigeria and continues to gain global recognition for our specialist services in:

• Banking and Finance
• Corporate & Commercial
• Dispute Resolution 
• Energy and Natural Resources
• Infrastructure
• Project Finance
• Media and Entertainment 
• Shipping and Maritime 
• Intellectual Property
• Tax
• Telecommunications 
• Technology

With sound commercial experience and a pragmatic approach, Dentons ACAS-Law provides you with a competitive edge when entering or operating your business in Africa’s most advanced economy. 

Recognition

Dentons wins Property and Construction Team of the Year at African Legal Awards 2022

September 12, 2022

Dentons has been named the Property and Construction Team of the Year – Mid-Large Practice at the African Legal Awards 2022 (AfLAs), as well as being Highly Recommended in Litigation & Dispute Resolution.

Dentons shortlisted for International Law Firm of the Year award in The African Legal Awards 2022

July 5, 2022

Dentons has been shortlisted for five awards by Law.com's African Legal Awards 2022. The African Legal Awards recognise exceptional achievement from within Africa’s legal community.

Insights

An overview of the upstream petroleum operations cost efficiency incentives

June 24, 2025

Nigeria: To promote effectiveness in upstream petroleum operations, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria issued the Upstream Petroleum Operations (Cost Efficiency Incentives) Order in April 2025 (the “Order”) to provide for, among others, tax incentives for companies operating in the upstream sector.

The role of ethics in strengthening corporate governance structures in Nigeria

June 24, 2025

Nigeria: In today’s complex business landscape, where profit margins often dominate discussions and market forces heavily influence decision-making, ethics must remain the guiding light of corporate conduct. Corporate governance, the framework by which companies are directed and controlled, is fundamentally rooted in ethical principles.

Protecting ideas at work: Navigating IP issues in employer-employee relationships

January 27, 2025

Nigeria: Intellectual Property (IP) issues have become increasingly important in the employer-employee relationship, both globally and in Nigeria. As technology and innovation continue to reshape various industries, the question of who owns the work created by employees in the course of employment has become a focal point.

View all insights for Port Harcourt

News and Events

Recent Press Releases

Dentons recognized as a leader in Patent law by IAM PATENT1000

June 21, 2024

Global law firm Dentons has received 20 individual lawyer recommendations across nine jurisdictions and 11 firm recommendations in the 2024 edition of IAM Patent 1000. The accolade recognizes the top-quality work of Dentons’ global Intellectual Property and Technology practice in the area of patent litigation, transactions, and prosecution.

Dentons launches combination with Zaanouni in Tunisia

October 24, 2022

Dentons has launched its previously announced combination with leading Tunisian law firm, Zaanouni Law Firm & Associates. The launch coincides with the tenth anniversary of the announcement of the creation of Dentons and follows the announcement of Dentons' combination with Link Legal in India — marking the first global law firm to combine with a law firm in India. 

Dentons wins Property and Construction Team of the Year at African Legal Awards 2022

September 12, 2022

Dentons has been named the Property and Construction Team of the Year – Mid-Large Practice at the African Legal Awards 2022 (AfLAs), as well as being Highly Recommended in Litigation & Dispute Resolution.

View all press releases for Port Harcourt