Legal practitioners across the country have been advised to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for the implementation of cross-border legal practice.
An international attorney and driver of the Cross-Border Legal Practice Initiative, Lugard Agbomoagan, in a statement made available to newsmen, said its implementation would widen the scope of legal practice on the African continent, as well as strengthen the bond of professionalism among practitioners.
He added that issues related to the implementation of cross-border legal practice would be discussed at a programme organised by Cross-Border Legal Practice Fireside on August 25, 2026, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He noted the challenges facing lawyers whenever they have opportunities to represent their clients outside the shores of their countries.
Agbomoagan said the event would examine the current landscape of African legal practice in an era where trade, investment, technology, finance and commercial relationships increasingly transcend national borders.
According to him, “The AfCFTA represents one of the most significant developments in Africa’s economic integration agenda, creating new opportunities for intra-African trade, investment and business expansion.
“Yet the success of cross-border commerce also depends on the availability of lawyers capable of navigating different legal systems, regulatory frameworks, dispute-resolution mechanisms and international commercial environments.
“The initiative advocates for a generation of African lawyers who are not confined by traditional jurisdictional thinking, but are equipped with the knowledge, networks, technological competence and international outlook required to support businesses and institutions operating across the continent and beyond.
Group Chief Executive Officer of Kiakia Group, Abisoye Coker, a distinguished cross-border legal expert, will deliver the keynote address.
His participation brings together legal practice, entrepreneurship and cross-border business experience at a time when African enterprises are increasingly seeking opportunities beyond their domestic markets.
The programme will feature a distinguished panel of experts with experience spanning multiple 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, brings a rare perspective shaped by legal practice and public-sector experience across Nigeria and the United States. He will offer insight into international legal practice, financial regulation and the opportunities available to African lawyers within global legal systems.
“Africa’s economic integration cannot be achieved without corresponding integration in the way African legal professionals think, collaborate and deliver legal 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 further emphasised that African lawyers should not merely respond to continental economic integration after it happens, but should actively participate in shaping the legal architecture and professional ecosystem that will support it.