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Excitement builds for ACGC 7th Annual Conference & Skills Institute in Zambia
On 1-3 October 2025, Africa’s corporate and government counsel will gather at the famed David Livingstone Safari Resort Lodge & Spa in Zambia for three days of leadership, skills training, and pan-African collaboration
Under a theme of “From bridges to breakthroughs: In-house counsel as catalysts”, the upcoming seventh annual conference and skills institute of the African Corporate and Government Counsel Forum (ACGC) in Zambia on 1-3 October will continue to advance the global standing of the African in-house counsel community.
Supporting more than 2,000 in-house counsel across Africa, in corporate and public sectors, ACGC aims to equip in-house lawyers with key knowledge and insights on important issues that build their capacity to deliver effectively in their positions.
ACGC provides networking, information, resources, training, and other services, while leveraging on and improving its members’ connections across jurisdictions, industries, and sectors both in Africa and beyond, to identify and share good practices and promote a culture of innovation amongst its members.
This year’s conference, to be held across three days at the famed David Livingstone Safari Resort Lodge & Spa (with an optional fourth day guided excursion to explore natural and cultural wonders of Zambia, including Victoria Falls), has an exciting programme full of leadership sessions, practical skills training, and global insights.
Africa is “by far the most complex continent” for market regulation, while also being a market “most from within and beyond aspire to explore and participate in”, says Babatune Irukera, former Vice Chair & CEO of Nigeria’s Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission, who is speaking on the conference’s second day.
“For a continent with the most young and energetic population and a globally emerging generation of independence and entrepreneurship, ensuring fairness, balance, inclusiveness and opportunity must be a fundamental policy of every stakeholder,” says Irukera, who is looking forward to the “topical, ripe, and crucial” discussions at the ACGC Conference.
He will be part of a breakout session on 2 October, “Towards a Unified Competition Landscape for Cross-Border Businesses: Navigating National, Regional, and AfCFTA Regimes”, which will unpack the complexities of cross-border competition frameworks and what AfCFTA means for businesses operating across Africa.
On the first day of this year’s ACGC Conference, renowned entrepreneur and former in-house legal leader Monica Musonda will deliver the keynote address, “The Catalyst Effect – Legal Leadership in a World of Breakthroughs”, drawing on her remarkable journey from General Counsel of a pan-African conglomerate to the founder of one of Zambia’s most recognised food companies. Musonda will speak candidly about the evolving role of legal leadership and how in-house counsel across Africa can be drivers of transformation, innovation, and ethical strategy.
Other speakers and skills session leaders include Sharon Blackman OBE, Managing Director and General Counsel at CitiBank; Wellington Chimwaradze, General Counsel, Middle East and LATAM at Unilever; Felix Obiamalu, General Counsel at Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit; Nikiwe Tanga, Chief Legal Officer of MTN Group Fintech; Alexia Waweru, Manager - Legal Affairs at COMESA Competition Commission; Annabelle Mwesigwe, Legal Counsel Uganda, Interswitch East Africa; Azhar Aziz Ismail, Knowledge Manager at Baker & McKenzie South Africa; and Cavendrys founders Janet Othero and Catherine Kariuki, among many others.
Another highlight of the upcoming ACGC Conference will be the presentation of the annual ACGC Community Awards, which this year includes a new category for Public Sector Leadership. Nominations close tomorrow, Friday 22 August 2025.
“Its an opportunity to shine a light on in-house counsel in Africa who inspire us with their leadership, collaboration, and impact,” says Cynthia Adaora Lareine, co-founder of ACGC, noting that recognition matters, strengthening the profession, encouraging excellence, and celebrating people and teams shaping the future of in-house law.
This year, the ACGC Community Awards will recognise excellence across categories including: Public Sector Leadership (new); Rising Star; Community Leadership; Mentorship Excellence; Innovation; Community Partnership Awards (global and Africa-based); and Legal Department of the Year. Nominations can be made here.
For more information on the ACGC 7th Annual Conference & Skills Institute and to register, visit their website or follow proceedings on LinkedIn or Twitter/X.