The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will next week take advantage of the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, that will bring together the continent’s Attorneys General, over 5,000 Nigerian lawyers, senior government officials and other eminent guests, and lead participants in a panel discussion on transboundary infrastructure in Africa.

This follows the 2014 summit on financing infrastructure in Africa that was held in Dakar, Senegal, to mobilize stakeholders around efforts by the African Union (AU) and its New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) programme to accelerate the implementation of priority regional infrastructure projects.

Since then the ECA and its partners have developed a framework to harmonize different African laws and regulations in a bid to lure investors into transboundary infrastructural development on the continent.  The Model Law on Transboundary Infrastructure Projects, that has been developed by ECA experts and their partners to develop adequate private sector interest in such enterprises, will be adopted by African leaders in January.

The ECA will lead this discourse to share with the Attorneys Generals, the lawyers and government advisors on benefits to be derived from regional integration. Panelists will lead discussions on political, legal and policy issues which need to be addressed to achieve regional integration through broadening intra-regional infrastructure.

The panelists are:

·        Ms. Uzo Madu, EU-Africa Communications, “What’s in it for Africa” – Moderator

·        Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, Executive Secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation, Harare– Keynote Speaker

·        Mr. Akshai Fofaria, Partner, Pinset Mason– Panelist

·        Prof. Sylvain Boko – Principal Regional Advisor, Head of Development Planning and Statistics, ECA

·        Prof. Makane Mbengue, Professor of Law, University of Geneva

·        Mr. Adeyinka Adeyemi, Head of Regional Integration and Infrastructure Cluster, ECA