Amsterdam & Partners LLP has been working on various business and policy matters in Nigeria since the mid-1970s.
One of our most well known cases is our work supporting the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. In 2008-2009, we were hired on a crisis management assignment relating to Mr. El-Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu (later just El-Rufai, as they formed separate defences).
Our task was to counter the onslaught of defamatory news, a senate probe, and an EFCC investigation which had been triggered by President Yar’Adua to eliminate potential opposition. We put together a broad aggressive campaign to challenge the accusations, including local legal filings, submissions of complaints and appeals, prominent speeches in London and Washington, television appearances, and comprehensive digital campaign (in the days before Twitter).
One important product of the effort was a white paper we wrote debunking the allegations and establishing a new narrative, accompanied by a personal website, which published dynamic content on a daily basis, allowing us to disrupt the negative news cycle. We also conducted targeted SEO actions to bury the worst articles and take over the first page of Google.
After a yearlong campaign, we were able to successfully reinstate Nasir, allowing him to safely return to the country, avoid any charges or trial, and strengthen his position in the opposition eventually leading to his election as Governor of Kaduna.
In addition to this case, Amsterdam & Partners has also represented the State Government of Akwa Ibom in a crucial dispute, as well as the Canadian oil company James Bay Resources in its dispute over their ownership of OML-25.