Former President of Ghana, John Mahama, has called for the establishment of a Pan-African legal framework that will reflect the continent’s values, and realities and help to solve the challenges facing people.
Mahama said that Africa must proactively adapt its legal education and practice to meet the needs of an integrated market, which involves developing expertise in international trade law, cross-border disputes, and comparative African law.
The former president, who spoke at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Lagos, also said that lawyers have an essential role in addressing the continent’s structural challenges.
Mahama, who spoke on the topic “The Future of Africa Amid Rising Security, Economic and Political Challenges,” stated that lawyers must not only advocate for change but also actively shape the legal frameworks that will support the diversification and strengthening of our economies.
He further said, “The protocol on the free movement of persons is not just an economic necessity but a realisation of the Pan-African dream. It is your duty as legal persons to advocate for and implement legal mechanisms that enable the free movement of our people and goods across our borders while addressing the legitimate security concerns.
“You must work tirelessly to harmonise our immigration laws, recognise professional qualifications across our member states, and establish robust systems for the mutual recognition of judgments and arbitral awards.
“For your professional implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, it opens up new opportunities and responsibilities. It would help if you proactively adapted your legal education and practice to meet the needs of an integrated African market. This involves developing expertise in international trade law, cross-border disputes, and comparative African law.
“The recent wave of political insurrections and coups in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, reflect deep-seated issues of injustice, alienation, and marginalisation. The state fragility and insecurity that have led to military takeovers have disrupted mutual understanding within the southwest sub-region and exposed the limitations of current diplomatic and interventionist strategies.
“We must ask ourselves. What is the future of Africa? What are the challenges that threaten Africa’s future? And what role do you, as legal professionals, have in securing this future? To answer these questions, we must first examine the structural challenges that undermine our African economies and the challenges that recent global events have highlighted.
“These events have disrupted our economies and exposed the deep-rooted vulnerabilities that long existed beneath the surface of our economic frameworks. Our continent’s heavy reliance on exporting commodities and importing essential goods has made us especially vulnerable to the unpredictable fluctuation of global markets. This vulnerability is not a recent development,” he stated.
Also, speaking at the event, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said that Nigerians need a new mindset to rebuild the country.
He noted that, “yesterday’s mindset took us to where we are today, and today’s mindset will take us to where we will be tomorrow.”
Akpabio asked the legal practitioners not to rest on their laurels but to move forward, welcoming the future with open hands and hearts.
He said, “As we gather, let us remember that our strength lies not only in our numbers but also our uniform.
“We are not merely a crowd. We are a very formidable force for positive change in Africa.
“We hold a call and a reflection on our collective determination to rebuild our beloved nation,” he said.
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