LEX Africa was well represented at the 2nd International Bar Association (IBA) African Competition Law Conference held in Lagos, Nigeria on 29 to 30 May 2025. LEX Africa delegates included Chairperson Pieter Steyn from South Africa, Sydney Chisenga from Zambia and Osayaba Giwa-Osagie from Nigeria. Pieter was a speaker and Sydney was a conference co-chair and panel moderator. The conference was very well attended and dealt with important current topics including the intersection between competition law and consumer welfare, African competition law policy objectives, the role of public interest considerations in merger control, the role of leniency policies in cartel enforcement, the interplay between competition law and intellectual property, African digital markets, the role and implications of State aid and regional competition frameworks and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The conference witnessed the signature of a memorandum of understanding between the COMESA Competition Commission and the Nigerian Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). Speakers included Professor Eleanor Fox of the New York University School of Law, the CEO of the FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, the CEO of the COMESA Competition Commission, Dr Willard Mwemba, the Deputy Commissioner of the South African Competition Commission, Hardin Ratshisusu, the former Judge President of the South African Competition Appeal Court, Judge Dennis Davis, Judge David Unterhalter of the South African Supreme Court of Appeal and Dr George Lipimile, the former CEO of the COMESA Competition Commission.
Says Pieter Steyn, “African competition law is developing rapidly especially with the AfCFTA’s proposed continental competition regulator and increased cooperation between African regulators. Competition law compliance is now an essential factor to be taken into account by all businesses in Africa”.
