LAGOS — A legal firm, AELEX, will host its 20th annual lecture on November 4, with discussions focusing on how African economies can turn global disruptions into opportunities for economic growth.
The lecture, scheduled for the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Victoria Island, Lagos, will feature Prof. Benedict Oramah, immediate past President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank, Afreximbank.
With the theme, “Global Shocks, Local Impact: Battle for Survival or Opportunities to Leapfrog, and for Growth,” the event will examine the implications of geopolitical conflicts, changing trade policies and disruptions to global supply chains for African economies.
According to AELEX, the lecture will explore whether such developments constitute threats to Africa’s economic survival or opportunities for the continent to accelerate development, strengthen regional trade and improve economic resilience.
Oramah, an economist and development finance expert, will lead the discussion. During his tenure at Afreximbank, he championed initiatives aimed at promoting intra-African trade and economic integration, including the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, PAPSS.
The lecture will be chaired by Mrs Bola Adesola, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ecobank, while international lawyer and author, Mr Femi Ojumu, will lead the audience dialogue.
Speaking ahead of the event, AELEX’s Senior Partner, Prof. Fubara Anga, SAN, said the lecture was part of the firm’s contribution to discussions on issues shaping Africa’s future.
“For twenty years, this Lecture has been our way of contributing to the conversations that shape our continent. Global shocks no longer stay global, and this year we ask how Africa can turn them into an advantage. What better voice to help answer that than Prof. Oramah’s,” Anga said.
The firm said the lecture would bring together business leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, innovators, legal practitioners and other stakeholders to examine how global economic and political developments are affecting the continent and the strategies needed to harness emerging opportunities.
Established in 2005 to commemorate the firm’s founding in 2004, the AELEX Annual Lecture has become a platform for discussions on legal, economic, business and policy issues of national and international importance.
Previous speakers at the annual event include Prof. Don Wallace, Judge Mervyn King, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, Mr John Githongo, Prof. Frédéric Jenny, Dr Kwabena Donkor and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
AELEX is a full-service law firm with offices in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana.
