Experts ask Africans to deepen int’l law for improved trade, investments

Leading diplomats and international law experts have called for urgent investment in homegrown capacity to deepen Africa’s engagement with international law and attract sustainable, mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities.

The call was made during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Certificate of Advanced Studies in International Law and Diplomacy, a one-week intensive course jointly organised by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) and the International Law Association (ILA), Nigerian Branch.

The high-level event drew senior diplomats, jurists, and scholars who stressed the need for African countries, especiallyNigeria, to strengthen their capacity to negotiate, implement, and enforce international legal norms.

Director General of NIALS, Professor Ibrahim Abdulqadir Abikan, said the training was timely given the increasing complexity of global legal frameworks.

“Due to globalisation, legal practices have taken on a new dimension. There is now an urgent need for lawyers, practitioners, and law students to rise to the challenge and equip themselves with 21st-century skill sets,” he said.

Delivering the keynote address, former Nigerian envoy to Sudan, Ambassador Safiu Olaniyan, described international law as “a crucial tool for managing global complexities, promoting cooperation, and addressing transnational challenges while balancing sovereignty with collective interests.”

Drawing on his diplomatic experience, emphasised the role of diplomacy in national development and praised the course as “a thoughtful initiative that prepares the next generation of African diplomats and legal experts.”

Also speaking, ILA Nigeria President, Prof Damilola Olawuyi (SAN), warned against the growing trend of “condescension diplomacy,” which he said undermines multilateralism and productive global engagement.

“We are witnessing a slide into unilateralism and patronising attitudes by powerful nations, which erodes the foundations of cooperation. Reclaiming the African voice requires training programmes like this that build confidence and expertise in international law,” he said.

Other speakers included Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Prof Olufemi Elias, Judge Ad hoc of the International Court of Justice; Dr. Tobilola Moody of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO); Esther Eghobamien-Mshelia of the UN CEDAW Committee.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}