Certificate of Advanced Studies in International Trade Law / AfCFTA Law and Policy

ABOUT THE COURSE

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), in partnership with the International Law Association, Nigerian Branch (ILA Nigeria) warmly welcome you to the Advanced Certificate in International Trade Law, with focus on AfCFTA Law and Policy.

NILDS is the apex capacity building and research agency of Nigeria’s National Assembly, established by the NILS Act of 2011 (amended in 2017 to cover democratic studies), and is dedicated to strengthening legislative institutions and democratic governance in Nigeria and across Africa. Its primary mandate is to provide support services to legislators, legislative staff and other democratic institutions through research, policy analysis and training. The ILA was established in 1873, with the objective and mandate to promote “the study, clarification and development of international law, both public and private, and the furtherance of international understanding and respect for international law.”

Due to the significant benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to state parties like Nigeria, through its strategic aims to create a single, unified market access across the continent, boost intra-African trade, promote economic diversification and industrialization, attract foreign direct investment, protect creativity and innovation, and reduce poverty, it is essential for all key stakeholders to understand how to maximize the full value of AfCFTA for national development. Exploring how the efffective implementation of AfCFTA can accelerate sustainable development, specifically on issues related to regional economic integration, foreign direct investments, human rights, peace and security, climate change and environmental protection, management of new technologies, and alternative dispute resolution amongst others, is crucial.

In view of the foregoing, promoting democracy and best practice legislative activities will require parliamentarians with expertise in international trade law and the art of applying key sources of AfCFTA law and policy in legislative context. The ultimate objective of this course is to expose stakeholders in the legislative arm to the specialised knowledge and skillsets required in the practice of international law and diplomacy, focusing on latest developments in AfCFTA law and policy. Such a course will also foster information on latest international law research materials and instruments that shape the domestic application of AfCFTA law and policy.

Structure

The four-day course is composed of seven modules. The first four sessions explore legal frameworks and hot topics in international law and its application in the context of AfCFTA law and policy. To ensure practical application and networking, the course also includes mandatory participation at the ILA Conference 2026.

·      Module 1 – Foundations: Nature and Sources of International Law

·      Module 2 – Foundations of International Trade Law and Institutions

·      Module 3:   Introduction to AfCFTA Law: Nature, Scope, Operational Instruments and Implementation mechanisms

·      Module 4: - Trade barriers, Trade facilitation and Rules of Origin

·      Module 5 -  Settlement under WTO and AfCFTA regimes.

·      Module 6- Practical exercise: AfCFTA, Trade Governance and Diplomacy.

·      Module 7- Participation in ILA Conference 2026, Abuja

Format

The course is meant to strike a balance between theory and practice. It will systematically use primary sources (most prominently international treaties and arbitral decisions) and introduce to participants the main electronic tools to research in the field of international trade law and AfCFTA. Participants are expected to take part in the discussion and in the final practical exercise.

Participants

The course is open to parliamentarians at federal and state levels, and also anyone interested in learning more about AfCFTA, including investors, entrepreneurs, civil servants, legislative staff, committee secretaries and political aides, national and international civil servants, diplomats, academics, lawyers, judges; and non-lawyer experts from public, commercial, industrial and financial spheres who intend to deepen their knowledge on international law and diplomacy.

Instructors

·      Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, PhD, Director, Division of AfCFTA Law and Policy

·      Professor Damilola Olawuyi, SAN-President, ILA Nigeria

·      Dr. Eduardo Pereira, Professor of Law, Brazil and President, International Energy Law Advisory Group

·      Professor Jonathan Aremu – ECOWAS Investment Consultant, Abuja, Nigeria.

·      Professor Bala Maiyaki SAN, University of Abuja.

·      Professor Ernest Kofi Abotsi, Dean of Law, UPSA Law School, Accra, Ghana.

·      Professor Desta Melaku, UNECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Attendance certificate

Upon conclusion of the course, participants will receive a formal certificate from ILA and NILDS