The Africa Construction Law (ACL) Conference returns for its 5th edition on 22 – 23 May 2025. This milestone event coincides with a major anniversary, as ACL celebrates 5 years of excellence in advancing construction law and fostering collaboration across the African continent through its groundbreaking initiatives. The 2025 annual Africa Construction Law (ACL) Conference is a gathering of practitioners working in the infrastructure and energy space from across Africa.

The theme for this year’s conference is “The Future of Construction in Africa”. The conference will hold in-person in Nairobi, Kenya and will see a confluence of construction law professionals experienced in African projects interrogate trends in construction law and infrastructure across English-speaking, Francophone and Lusophone African jurisdictions.

The 2025 edition builds on the success of previous editions which attracted a high level of interest, globally with delegates attending in-person from various jurisdictions including London, Egypt, Ghana, Paris, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, South Africa, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Cameroon, Switzerland, Mauritius, Nigeria, Austria, USA Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Liberia, and Qatar. Delegates represented a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including contractors, employers, developers, banks and finance institutions, government institutions, law firms, Chambers, arbitral institutions, expert consultancies, and academia. 

The speaker line-up features prominent legal and technical professionals offering insights on current trends and development in construction law. The conference provides ample networking opportunities, including interactive sessions, networking breaks and sponsors exhibition stands, creating direct opportunities to connect with key stakeholders across the construction ecosystem.

The conference features full plenary sessions over two days, covering current trends and developments in construction law and the infrastructural challenges faced across English-speaking, Francophone and Lusophone African jurisdictions. The agenda explores a wide range of issues, covering the full financing, contracting and dispute resolution spectrum, including:

• tackling delayed payments and liquidity challenges in the African construction industry; 
• reducing corruption in the delivery of projects in Africa; 
• improving project bankability; 
• risk allocation in African projects; 
• managing currency risks and enhancing capital mobility in African construction projects; 
• strengthening arbitral independence in African construction; and 
• enforcement of arbitral awards against African sovereigns.

The agenda also features an oxford-style debate on the use of dispute boards on African projects.

A highlight of the conference is the ACL Annual Gala Dinner and Awards, an exclusive evening dedicated to celebrating excellence across Africa. This prestigious event will recognize and honor individuals, firms, and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional innovation, leadership, and impactful contributions to the African construction and legal ecosystem. 

Supported by leading law firms, academic institutions, arbitral bodies, and professional organizations, the ACL Conference 2025 is a must-attend event.