Strengthening Legal Partnerships for Africa’s Business Advancement, by Adewale Kupoluyi

The need for legal practice to be strengthened to support businesses across Africa has been stressed. This piece of vital information was given at the recently-concluded African Corporate and Government Counsel (ACGC) Forum’s End of Year Networking Event, themed ‘Celebrate, Connect, Community’. In a compelling address at the event, which was held at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos State, the Managing Partner of Famsville Solicitors, Dayo Adu, highlighted the importance of collaboration in improving access to justice for businesses, stressing its role in economic development across the continent.

The programme, which was sponsored by Famsville, a full-service commercial law firm based in Lagos, by providing expertly-tailored legal support and advice to its diverse clients, was well-attended by over 100 top in-house and government lawyers in addition to corporate governance leaders, and policymakers. The event emphasised the role of collaboration in fostering a fair and enabling environment for business growth on the continent. Highlighting the unique challenges faced by businesses in Africa, Adu pointed out the barriers such as inadequate access to dispute resolution mechanisms, and limited understanding of regulatory frameworks, as critical issues facing the legal profession in general.

“Access to justice is not just a social imperative, but an economic one. Without it, businesses cannot thrive, and economies cannot grow”, he stated. Adu called for a multi-stakeholder approach, urging law firms, corporate counsel, governments, and international organisations to work together to enhance legal awareness by developing training programmes and resources for businesses to understand and navigate legal complexities, strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms to promote the establishment of affordable and efficient arbitration and mediation platforms, advocate for legal reform by partnering with policymakers to address systemic issues, streamline processes, and create business-friendly legal environments.

The managing partner said legal practitioners that practice on the outside, and as corporate counsel, have their meeting points. He said, they go for conferences and different sectional events that they attend as lawyers and private practice lawyers. “This kind of event should be welcomed, encouraged, and supported by well-meaning lawyers, and well-meaning law firms to integrate and encourage knowledge-sharing. Ultimately, it is the businesses that gain. You can imagine, if we are operating the ACGC in the banking sector, we’ll be meeting our colleagues and through that, there is no way that new ideas and new information would not be shared, and members would not be able to hold on to such roles in organisations that would be useful”, he stated.

Adu disclosed that ACGC remains a vital platform for legal and corporate leaders to explore innovative solutions to challenges faced by African businesses. The managing partner reaffirmed the critical role of partnerships in achieving equitable access to justice and fostering sustainable economic development across the continent. Adu, who is also the Chair, Media and Publicity Committee, Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL), underscored the importance of leveraging technology to bridge gaps in legal services, such as deploying digital tools for contract management and access to legal advice for the betterment of various organisations.

As the event concluded, participants lauded the managing partner’s vision and echoed the call for action to boost the fortunes of Africa. Participants expressed optimism that with effective partnerships and collaborations, the continent would continue to wax stronger in the area of commercial law practice. Speaking at the occasion, Temitope Sowunmi, a Partner at Famsville Solicitors, described Adu’s address as “a wake-up call for the legal community. By working together, we can break down the barriers that hinder Africa’s economic potential”. On her part, the Co-Founder and Director of ACGC, Nankunda Katangaza, echoed similar sentiments, stating that the event underscored the critical role of partnerships in shaping the future of legal practice in Africa.

She equally affirmed that the forum is for lawyers working in-house and legal departments in government establishments to come together as a community of lawyers across the continent. Katangaza noted that ACGC is a Pan-African organisation that works in other countries, saying the reason why they add value to people’s lives is because many lawyers that work in-house do not seem to have an organisation of their own. The co-founder and director informed further that the mission of her group is to help lawyers come together, connect to each other by networking, and enjoy themselves before the end of the year through the lively platform being offered.

ACGC provides the avenue for corporate and government lawyers to collaborate across  industries, jurisdictions, and sectors. The group focuses on equipping its members with tools to address challenges, share best practices, and promote a culture of innovation in the legal profession. It recognises the evolution that has occurred in relation to in-house roles across the continent and aims to ensure that lawyers working in African corporate and government departments have meaningful opportunities to learn, discuss and debate what the future holds, and how they can contribute meaningfully to the growth of their companies and governments, their own personal development and that of the legal profession as a whole.