A new legal initiative geared towards positioning African lawyers to take advantage of emerging opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is set to launch in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on August 25, 2026.
The Cross-Border Legal Practice Fireside, convened and organised by international attorney Lugard Agbomoagan, will bring together leading African and international legal and professional practitioners for discussions on the evolving role of the legal profession in Africa’s expanding continental market.
The initiative comes as the implementation of AfCFTA creates new opportunities for intra-African trade, investment, technology, finance and commercial partnerships, while simultaneously increasing the need for legal practitioners capable of operating across jurisdictions.
The Port Harcourt convergence will therefore focus on a critical question: whether African lawyers are adequately equipped to advise, negotiate and compete in an increasingly borderless African economy.
According to the organisers, the success of cross-border commerce will depend not only on businesses and capital moving more freely across Africa, but also on the availability of lawyers with the expertise to navigate different legal systems, regulatory frameworks, dispute-resolution mechanisms and international commercial environments.
The Cross-Border Legal Practice Fireside seeks to place the legal profession at the centre of Africa’s economic integration agenda by promoting a new generation of practitioners equipped with cross-border knowledge, professional networks, technological competence and an international outlook.
Group Chief Executive Officer of Kiakia Group and cross-border legal expert, Abisoye Coker, is expected to deliver the keynote address at the event.
His participation is expected to bring together perspectives from legal practice, entrepreneurship and cross-border business at a time when African enterprises are increasingly seeking opportunities beyond their domestic markets.
The programme will also feature a panel of experts drawn from different jurisdictions and professional disciplines.
Legal Counsel and Director at the New York State Senate Committee on Banks, Onome C. Anakanire, a Nigerian and New York attorney, will bring his experience in legal practice and public-sector engagement in Nigeria and the United States to the discussions.
He is expected to offer perspectives on international legal practice, financial regulation and opportunities for African lawyers within global legal systems.
Information security expert, Rukayat Ojo-Oba, will focus on the intersection of law, information security, technology, cybersecurity, privacy and emerging technologies, while litigation expert Akintola Makinde will contribute perspectives on litigation, advocacy, dispute resolution and the changing demands of contemporary legal practice.
A major highlight of the gathering will be the African Young Lawyers Excellence Awards, which the organisers describe as a pioneering platform for recognising outstanding young lawyers contributing to the development of the African legal profession.
The awards will recognise achievements in leadership, innovation, advocacy and professional excellence, while promoting a culture of continental recognition for young practitioners whose work extends beyond conventional professional milestones.
The event will also feature the presentation of Law School Scholarship Awards to beneficiaries of the Lugard Agbomoagan Law School Scholarship Scheme.
The scholarship initiative, according to the organisers, is designed to expand access to legal education and support promising young Africans seeking to build careers in the legal profession.
‘Legal Profession Must Be Prepared for the Africa AfCFTA Is Creating’
Founder and Convener of the Cross-Border Legal Practice Advocacy Initiative, Agbomoagan, said Africa’s economic integration could not be achieved without corresponding changes in how lawyers think, collaborate and deliver professional services.
He said the legal profession must be prepared to support businesses and institutions as commercial activities increasingly extend across national boundaries.
“AfCFTA is creating an Africa where businesses, capital, investments and commercial relationships can increasingly move across borders. The legal profession must be prepared for that Africa,” Agbomoagan said.
He added that African lawyers should not wait for continental economic integration to take shape before engaging with it, stressing that practitioners must actively participate in developing the legal architecture and professional ecosystem required to sustain the emerging market.
The Port Harcourt event is expected to mark the beginning of a broader continental conversation on cross-border legal practice.
The organisers said the initiative would seek to establish a sustained platform connecting African lawyers to international opportunities, professional networks, knowledge, mentorship and recognition.
Its long-term objective is to contribute to the emergence of a globally competitive African legal profession capable of supporting cross-border trade and investment, technology, dispute resolution and sustainable economic development across the continent.