The International Law Association (Nigeria Branch) co-hosted the Africa Policy Dialogue with Aluko & Oyebode, the Federal Ministry of Justice of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Embassy in Vienna on 20 August 2026 in Vienna, Austria, as a high-level side event during the 82nd Biennial Conference of the International Law Association (ILA).

Themed “Peace, Prosperity, and the Future of International Law: Geopolitics and Geoeconomics in a Fragmenting World,” the dialogue brought together senior government officials, diplomats, legal practitioners, policymakers, academics, and institutional leaders to examine the geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts reshaping the international order and their implications for Africa.

The event opened with welcome, goodwill, and opening remarks from Her Excellency, Ambassador Dr. Florence Fatima Ajimobi, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Austria; Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Professor Christine Chinkin, Chair of the Executive Council and Chair of the Management Committee of the International Law Association; Professor Damilola Olawuyi, SAN, President of the International Law Association (Nigeria Branch); and Mr. Tunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, Senior Partner, Aluko & Oyebode.

The dialogue featured two high-level panel sessions focused on Africa’s strategic choices in a rapidly changing global environment and the evolving role of international law.

The first session, “Africa Leaders’ Dialogue: Navigating Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Change—Africa’s Strategic Choices for Sustainable Development,” examined the complex choices confronting African states in areas including trade, investment, natural resource governance, regional integration and institutional development.

Moderated by international journalist Femi Oke, the session featured Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Mrs. Patience Okala, National Coordinator of Nigeria’s AfCFTA Coordination Office; and Mr. Olivier Pognon, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the African Legal Support Facility.

The second session, “The Role of International Law in a Fragmenting World,” explored the continuing relevance and effectiveness of international law amid increasing geopolitical rivalry, geoeconomic competition, and competing approaches to global governance. The discussion considered how international law can continue to support cooperation, peaceful dispute resolution, sustainable development, justice, and inclusive prosperity while adapting to changing political and economic realities.

The session was moderated by Babatunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, Senior Partner, Aluko & Oyebode, and Dr. Eghosa Ekhator, Associate Professor of International Environmental Law at the University of Derby.

Panellists included Professor Olabisi Akinkugbe, Purdy Crawford Chair in Business Law and Associate Professor at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University; Mr. Ahmed Essa Al-Sulaiti, President of the International Law Association – Gulf Cooperation Council Branch and faculty member at the College of Law, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar; and Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, Vice President, ILA Canada, and Chair in Sustainable Development Law and Policy at the University of Cambridge.

Through the two sessions, the Africa Policy Dialogue provided a platform for high-level engagement on how African states can navigate shifts in the international political and economic order while strengthening the role of international law in advancing peace, prosperity, sustainable development, and Africa’s long-term strategic interests.

The programme concluded with closing remarks, followed by a cocktail reception and networking session.