Catherine TEYA: Africa’s Legal Millennial
Catherine TEYA is a legal consultant, accredited mediator and the Founder of CAT Consulting, a Gabon-based legal and business advisory firm. She advises national and international clients on commercial contracts, corporate governance, compliance, employment law, dispute prevention and resolution, debt recovery and matters arising within the OHADA legal framework. Her practice is distinguished by a pragmatic and business-oriented approach, with particular emphasis on transforming complex legal issues into clear and implementable solutions.
Lesotho and South Africa’s Rising Legal Stars Take Center Stage as Legal Luminary Mentorship Programme Marks Third Cohort
A new generation of legal talent from Lesotho and South Africa has taken another step towards the legal profession, as the International Human Rights Lab (IHRL), in collaboration with International Supportive Futures (ISF), concluded the third cohort of its Legal Luminary Mentorship Programme with an awards ceremony celebrating outstanding participants.
The eight-week programme brought together law students from the National University of Lesotho and the University of South Africa (UNISA), with a clear objective: to equip emerging lawyers with practical knowledge, professional exposure and the skills needed to navigate an increasingly dynamic legal profession.
Mohamed Adam Mokrani: Africa’s Legal Millennial
Mohamed Adam Mokrani is a Tunisian and Algerian lawyer, public policy consultant, and founder of Mokrani Law Firm. Admitted to the Tunisian Bar in 2019, he advises domestic and international clients on business law, foreign investment, regulatory matters, arbitration, energy, natural resources, and cross border transactions. His professional activities span Tunisia, Algeria, and France, with a particular focus on supporting investors and companies operating across North Africa. He is also a member of Lex Maxima, an international network of lawyers, through which he contributes to cross border legal cooperation.
#3 2026
We’re proud to present the No. 3, 2026 edition of The PALM, focused on International Humanitarian Law and one of the most urgent questions of our time: how do we preserve humanity in the midst of inhumanity?
Against the backdrop of armed conflicts and humanitarian crises across Africa, from Sudan and the DRC to Somalia, this edition examines the growing gap between the rules designed to protect human dignity and the realities of their implementation and enforcement.
Adam Malek: Africa’s Legal Millennial
Adam Malek is a French-Algerian lawyer admitted to the Paris Bar. He serves as an Associate at Darci, a French boutique dedicated to the full lifecycle of international construction contracts, from drafting to dispute resolution.
Before joining Darci, Adam trained and worked with leading law firms such as Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Clifford Chance and De Gaulle Fleurance, in France (Paris) and in Switzerland (Zurich). He has also assisted arbitrators and mediators in a Parisian boutique where he acted as a legal consultant for arbitration proceedings related to the aerospace industry (RSDA).
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) And Non-Oil Exports In Nigeria: Opportunities, Challenges And Policy Reforms By Elohor Benedicta Omughele
Nigeria’s leading export, and its main source of national revenue, is crude oil. In 2023, crude oil exports reached about N29 trillion, accounting for about 81% of the country’s total export value (National Bureau of Statistics, 2024). This dependence places Nigeria in a vulnerable position, as fluctuations in oil prices have a direct effect on revenue and can destabilise the economy (IMF, 2023). In contrast, agriculture contributed only 5.73% of total exports, while other oil products contribute 16.87% (NBS, 2024). Recent figures, however, show progress in diversification. Nigeria’s non-oil exports rose to 3.2 billion dollars in the first half of 2025(Nigerian Export Promotion Council, 2025). Products such as cocoa beans, fertiliser, and cashew nuts dominated this growth, with cocoa alone representing about 35% of total export value. These results reflect the government’s efforts to move the economy away from crude oil, which continues to provide about two-thirds of state income and around 80% of foreign currency earnings (World Bank, 2024).
Duaa Khalid Hassan: Africa’s Legal Millennial
Duaa Khalid Hassan has over a decade of experience in corporate, banking, and financial law, and in-depth expertise in contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, due diligence, and dispute resolution. She is known for her strategic insight and commitment to excellence, including a proven record of delivering effective legal solutions for major financial institutions, multinational corporations, and airlines.
Samuel Frank Matinou: Africa’s Legal Millennial
Samuel Frank Matinou is a Cameroonian Lawyer with a Master’s degree in European Law, Data and Artificial Intelligence, jointly awarded by Dublin City University in Ireland, the Università di Pisa in Italy, and Avignon Université in France. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Institute of Legal Practice and Development in Kigali, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Kigali, Rwanda.
Albert M. Agyepong: Africa’s Legal Millennial
Albert M. Agyepong is a corporate lawyer and legal academic based in Accra, Ghana. He holds an LL.M. from Harvard Law School and law degrees from Ghana and The Gambia. He is admitted to practice in Ghana and The Gambia and is awaiting admission to the New York bar.
Dr. Justina Obaoye-Ajala: Africa’s Legal Millennial
Dr. Justina Kehinde Obaoye-Ajala is an internationally recognised human rights lawyer, policy expert, and transformative leader whose work spans global legal systems, international institutions, and grassroots communities. With over a decade of experience, she has established herself as a leading voice in advancing women’s rights, racial justice, and the protection of people of African descent and marginalised groups across continents.
