A proposed set of Abuja Guidelines and a forthcoming report will be shared with governments across Africa to broaden participation in an ALSF/AFC-led initiative on investor-state dispute management.
ABUJA, NIGERIA | 25 OCTOBER 2026
The African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) and the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) are advancing an African-led initiative on investor-state dispute prevention and management following the 2nd African Attorneys General Roundtable, held in Abuja from 21 to 23 October 2026 in collaboration with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (the “Roundtable”). The proposed “Abuja Guidelines”, together with the forthcoming Roundtable report, will be shared with all governments across the continent, including countries that did not participate in the meeting, to broaden engagement and invite further contributions.
The initiative seeks to support African governments in identifying and managing legal risks at an early stage, strengthening coordination across public institutions and reducing the likelihood of costly investment disputes. The next steps include refining the proposed Guidelines through wider consultation and laying the foundations for an African Attorneys General Network to support peer exchange and practical cooperation.
The Roundtable, brought together African legal leaders and experts to examine how government decisions across the investment lifecycle can help prevent legal disputes.
Discussions highlighted the importance of involving Attorneys General and Chief legal officers earlier in significant investment decisions, improving coordination between ministries and agencies, and establishing practical mechanisms to identify emerging legal risks before they escalate.
From Proposed Guidelines to Practical Action~
Participants examined the proposed “Abuja Principles”, draft guidelines devised by leading Nigerian law firm, Aluko & Oyebode, which are intended to provide voluntary guidance on investment dispute prevention and management. The discussions explored how the proposed principles could be applied across different legal systems and institutional arrangements, while recognising the need for national consultation and approval processes.
The Roundtable report will document the discussions and key themes.
The report and proposed principles are intended to be shared with governments beyond those represented in Abuja, creating an opportunity for a wider consultation to review the proposals, contribute their perspectives and participate in shaping the initiative's future direction.
This broader engagement is central to the proposed African Attorneys General Network. Rather than beginning as a fully established institution, the Network is envisaged as a platform through which African governments can exchange experience, learn from disputes encountered in other jurisdictions and develop practical approaches to managing investment-related legal risks.
Sustaining African Collaboration
The work ahead will need to translate the discussions into practical institutional capabilities. Measures explored at the Roundtable included early warning mechanisms, legal risk registers, earlier Attorney General involvement in significant investment decisions and stronger coordination of government positions across ministries, departments and agencies.
The ALSF and AFC bring complementary strengths and perspectives to this initiative. The ALSF’s legal expertise and mandate to support African countries on complex legal matters provide a foundation for strengthening government capacity to prevent and manage disputes. AFC’s role in financing and supporting investment and infrastructure development underscores the importance of managing legal risks that can affect projects and public resources.
Turning the discussions into practical institutional capability will require sustained engagement from governments and support from development finance institutions, development partners and other relevant organisations. This could help strengthen legal and institutional capacity, facilitate peer learning, develop practical tools and support future convenings, enabling governments to apply lessons from the Roundtable within their own institutions.
The ALSF will continue engaging participating governments and invite other African countries to contribute to the proposed Abuja Guidelines and the development of the wider initiative. The long-term ambition is to build a durable platform for cooperation that enables governments identify legal risks early, share lessons across jurisdictions and manage investment disputes before they become more complex and costly to resolve.
The ALSF and AFC extend their thanks to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN, for hosting the Roundtable. They also thank and acknowledge the contributions of the participating country delegations, facilitators, experts, partners and supporting institutions.
About the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF)
Established by the African Development Bank in 2008, the ALSF assists African governments in negotiating complex commercial transactions, providing legal and technical assistance and developing capacity building tools in the key sectors of infrastructure and public-private partnerships, energy, natural resources and extractive industries, as well as on sovereign debt and creditor disputes.
About the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)
AFC was established in 2007 to be the catalyst for pragmatic infrastructure and industrial investments across Africa. AFC’s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.
Nineteen years on, AFC has developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 49 member countries and has invested over US$20 billion in 36 African countries since its inception.
www.africafc.org