A program offering African lawyers experience at London firms has launched its 2026 secondment round, seeking support for future editions. Five lawyers have begun placements through the annual initiative, which provides young African practitioners with exposure to international law firms.
The 2026 cohort of International Lawyers for Africa (ILFA) started in September, with placements at the London offices of Hunton Andrews Kurth, Trinity International, Mayer Brown, Latham & Watkins, and Clifford Chance.
Over the past 12 years, ILFA has placed 300 lawyers from 25 African countries. The three-month secondments include work at firms, along with training and education sessions at Oxford and Cambridge universities and other London firms.
“Our hope for this year’s cohort is that each secondee leaves London with more than new technical skills,” says ILFA program manager Fateema Benjamin. “We want them to return home with greater confidence, a broader perspective, lasting professional relationships, and a renewed sense of what they can contribute to their own firms, institutions, and legal communities.”
This year’s participants are Nabila Hamada from Kenyan firm Walker Kontos, Temple Ezebuike from Templars Nigeria, Oluwatobi Akintayo from Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie in Nigeria, Fatma Haruna Songoro from Victory Attorneys & Consultants in Tanzania, and Henok Kiros from Aman & Partners Legal Service in Ethiopia.
Benjamin adds, “We hope they will experience the very best of London’s legal community—exposure to complex international work, generous mentorship, new ways of thinking, and the opportunity to build relationships that continue long after their secondment ends. We also hope that our host firms will discover talented lawyers and future leaders whose knowledge of African markets, businesses, and legal systems brings genuine value to their practices.”
ILFA is backed by a distinguished board led by president Funke Adekoya SAN, former head of dispute resolution at AELEX and now an independent arbitrator. Adekoya also chairs the African branch of the ICC International Court of Arbitration’s Advanced Arbitration Academy.
Other directors include Tim Taylor KC of Russian firm EPAM in Dubai, Howard Barrie, senior partner at Olaniwun Ajayi’s London office, David Ziyambi of Latham & Watkins, Daniel Mutisya, a private equity partner at Clifford Chance, Susan Craughan, senior legal counsel for Schneider Electric, and Silver Kayondo of Ortus Advocates in Uganda, himself a former ILFA secondee.