Leading diplomats and international law experts have reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to collaborate with foreign partners and investors in building an international legal order that promotes sustainable prosperity through inclusive and equitable trade and investments.
L-R: Professor Damilola Olawuyi, SAN, President, International Law Association, Nigeria
Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney General and Minister for Justice
Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, JP, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Austria
Professor Christine Chinkin, Chair of the Executive Council of the ILA globally
Mr. Tunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, Senior Partner, Aluko & Oyebode.
The recommendation was made at the high-level opening ceremony of the inaugural Africa Policy Dialogue, held during the 82nd Biennial Conference of the International Law Association, ILA holding in Vienna, Austria.
Since 1873, the Biennial ILA conferences have brought together leading international lawyers, diplomats, law academics, members of governments and international organisations every two years, in different jurisdictions.
The inaugural Africa Policy Dialogue was convened this year by the Nigerian Branch of the ILA, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Aluko & Oyebode, a top-tier full-service law firm, and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Vienna to provide a dedicated forum for strategic Africa-focused dialogue during the conference.
Held under the theme “Peace, Prosperity and the Future of International Law: Geopolitics and Geoeconomics in a Fragmenting World,” the opening ceremony featured compelling remarks by leading diplomats and international experts including Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, JP, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Austria; Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney General and Honourable Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Professor Christine Chinkin, Chair of the Executive Council of the ILA; Professor Damilola Olawuyi, SAN, President, ILA Nigeria; and Mr. Tunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, Senior Partner, Aluko & Oyebode.
While welcoming delegates to Vienna and to the Forum, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Austria, Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, JP, reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to prioritise and support foreign collaboration and investments that will deliver the Renewed Hope Agenda of the government.
She noted the importance of international diplomacy to promoting a just, peaceful, and prosperous society and commended the ILA for putting together this timely and important conference that would go a long way in the development of the next cadre of African experts in international law and diplomacy.
On his part, while delivering a goodwill message of the occasion, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney General and Honourable Minister of Justice of Nigeria noted that the world is changing through geopolitical shifts, climate disruption, artificial intelligence, and pressures that continue to test international rule of law, and that international lawyers must respond to these urgent imperatives.
According to him “Legal infrastructure is the backbone of global commerce. Capital flows where legal certainty exists. Let this conference remind and rededicate us to three pillars: Law for Peace, Law for Prosperity, and Law for the People. Nigeria stands ready to collaborate in building an international legal order that is equitable, resilient, and fit for the future.”
The Minister commended the ILA and the other organisers of the conference for bringing us together in historic Vienna to address a theme of existential import.
In his welcome address, Professor Damilola Olawuyi, SAN, President of ILA Nigeria, who is also the UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar, emphasised the important roles of international law in solving today’s global challenges.
He noted that “Given Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s leadership is key in unlocking innovative legal solutions to the urgent and pressing challenges of our time. At the same time, our ability to attract sustainable international finance will depend on homegrown experts with the skills to negotiate win-win trade and investment.
Our key message today therefore is that ILA Nigeria is ready to help. In the room today, and in our membership, are international law practitioners, scholars and jurisconsults of great distinction who are ready to deploy their skills to support government’s strategic diplomatic and capacity development efforts on all aspects of international law.”
On his part, frontline lawyer and Senior Partner, Aluko & Oyebode, Mr. Tunde Fagbohunlu, SAN said: “In an era of geopolitical fragmentation, legal certainty has become a strategic economic asset. Businesses and investors depend on stable, predictable legal frameworks to make long-term decisions and manage cross-border risk. Aluko & Oyebode is proud to support this Policy Dialogue because meaningful engagement between governments, international institutions, business and the legal profession is essential to strengthening the rule of law, fostering investment confidence and advancing Africa’s economic integration and global competitiveness.”
The ensuing panel discussions featured leading experts and practitioners including Mrs. Patience Okala, National Coordinator, Nigeria’s AfCFTA Coordination Office; Mr. Olivier Pognon, Director and Chief Executive Officer, African Legal Support Facility, Dr. Eghosa Ekhator, Associate Professor of International Environmental Law, University of Derby, United Kingdom, Professor Olabisi Akinkugbe, Purdy Crawford Chair in Business Law at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Canada; Dr. Ahmed Essa Alsulaiti, President of the International Law Association–Gulf Cooperation Council Branch; and Professor Marie-Claire Cordonnier Segger, Vice President, ILA Canada, and Chair in Sustainable Development Law and Policy at the University of Cambridge, who highlighted Africa’s strategic priorities in a changing geopolitical and geo-economic environment and the role of international law in promoting peace, prosperity, justice and inclusive development.
The International Law Association (ILA) was established in 1873, with the objective and mandate to promote “the study, clarification, and development of international law, both public and private, and the furtherance of international understanding and respect for international law.
The Nigerian Branch of the ILA regularly hosts innovative lectures, seminars, conferences, and other capacity development programs to advance the study and understanding of international law in Nigeria. To learn more about the ILA, its activities, and events visit http://www.ila-hq.org
