•Nigerian lawyers
On Monday, August 25, 2026 Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, will play host to a new initiative aimed at positioning African lawyers to take advantage of opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.
The event, “Cross-Border Legal Practice Fireside,” is being convened by international attorney, Lugard Agbomoagan.
The organisers said the high-level gathering is designed to equip African lawyers with the knowledge, networks and technological competence to advise, negotiate and compete favourably across borders.
According to Agbomoagan, Africa’s economic integration under AfCFTA must be matched by integration in how legal professionals think, collaborate and deliver services.
“The 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,” he said.
He added that lawyers should not just respond to continental integration but actively shape the legal architecture that will support it.
The Port Harcourt summit will feature a keynote address by Group Chief Executive Officer of Kiakia Group, Abisoye Coker, a cross-border legal and business expert.
A panel of distinguished speakers has also been lined up. They include Legal Counsel and Director at the New York State Senate Committee on Banks, Onome C. Anakanire; Information Security Expert, Rukayat Ojo-Oba; and Litigation Expert, Akintola Makinde.
Discussions will focus on international legal practice, financial regulation, cybersecurity, dispute resolution and the evolving demands of modern legal practice.
A major feature of the event will be the maiden African Young Lawyers Excellence Awards, instituted to recognise young lawyers for leadership, innovation and impact within Africa and globally.
The event will also feature the presentation of Law School Scholarship Awards to beneficiaries of the Lugard Agbomoagan Law School Scholarship Scheme.
Organisers described the Port Harcourt gathering as the beginning of a broader continental platform to connect African lawyers with international opportunities, mentorship and professional networks.
The long-term vision, they said, is to build a globally competitive African legal profession capable of supporting cross-border trade, investment, technology and dispute resolution under AfCFTA.
