A new dawn: excitement builds for BNLF Nigeria Summit 2026 among 25-year celebrations

With bilateral trade between Nigeria and the UK already reaching record levels of £8.1 billion annually, this week’s BNLF Nigeria Summit, Conference & Gala Night comes at an ideal time to gather key stakeholders to discuss how to cultivate the next era in UK–Nigeria law, investment, and opportunity, say the Summit organisers. 

“Nigeria is open for business,” said BNLF Vice-Chair Genevieve Wakeley-Jones, speaking with TVC News in Lagos this week. “Let's figure out how we can collaborate and move from just goodwill into practical implementation… practical ways that we can both support each other, remove barriers, and grow trade.”

While Nigeria is already the UK’s second-biggest trade partner on the African continent, behind South Africa, Wakeley-Jones and BNLF Chair Kash Balogun mentioned investment delays and trade barriers that continue to cause issues. 

Such challenges will be discussed at the upcoming BNLF Nigeria Summit, Conference & Gala Night, being held across 25-26 June at the British Deputy High Commissioner’s Residence and the Oriental Hotel at Victoria Island, under the theme of ‘A New Dawn in Law, Investment and Opportunity in UK–Nigeria Relations’. 

After last year’s ground-breaking first Nigeria Summit, this year’s Lagos event will also help celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the British Nigeria Law Forum.

Founded in the UK in 2001 to help foster strong relationships between lawyers in the UK and Nigeria, the BNLF has evolved over the last quarter century into a key platform for promoting legal excellence, knowledge sharing, mentorship, and policy dialogue between stakeholders in both jurisdictions.

Speaking with Africa Legal ahead of last year’s first-ever Nigeria Summit, Balogun shared his hopes that the Lagos event would become an annual fixture, and “a platform where UK and Nigerian professionals don’t just network, but build lasting relationships leading to instructions, investment, and impact”. 

This week’s Nigeria Summit will kick off on Thursday afternoon at the British Deputy High Commissioner’s Residence in Lagos with an off-record, closed-door roundtable on ‘Stability vs Returns: How Security Shapes Investment Decisions’, chaired by Florence Eshalomi MP, the UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria and Ghana, followed by an evening welcome reception with light entertainment, drinks, and networking. 

The flagship Conference day will be held throughout Friday at the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, with keynote speakers, five panel sessions, a private VIP roundtable luncheon, and a closing black-tie Gala Dinner and Awards evening. 

The five panel sessions will cover topics including: 

• The Investment Climate Under New Tax Laws — Opportunities for Investors;

• Future-Proofing Dispute Resolution — Minimising Delays, Maximising Impact;

• The Business of Creativity — IP Law Changes & Capital Flows;

• Cross-Border Networking — The Relationship Stories Behind Global Opportunities; and

• Beyond Exit — What Divestment Means for Investment and Growth. 

“A number of investors into Nigeria complain about the delays in the legal system, delays in enforcement of judgments, delays in getting judgments across,” shared Balogun with TVC News this week. “So it’s discussing how those kinds of barriers can be removed, how we can make things faster. Talking about the new Arbitration and Mediation Act that Nigeria has passed, and how that can be used to remove barriers.”

Nigerian legal icon Professor Konyin Ajayi, SAN, a partner at Olaniwun Ajayi, distinguished scholar, and a strong voice shaping the future of law and policy in Nigeria and beyond, will deliver a keynote address at Friday’s Conference. 

The return of the BNLF Summit to Lagos this week further cements last year’s growth for the organisation, which had previously largely been known in the UK, said Kemi Afesojaye, the Co-Chair of BNLF Lagos Committee. “We’re beginning to spread the gospel down here, with increased numbers, and people are more interested in what the BNLF has to offer. We’re also coming up with plans and programmes to be able to enable them to actually maximise the cross-border offer that BNLF brings.”

For more information on the BNLF Nigeria Summit 2026, visit here.