As part of ILFA’s belief in and ongoing commitment to comprehensive continuous legal education for African lawyers, in 2019 we will launch a new programme called the ILFA Legal Excellence Academy. The programme takes place in country across Africa and is made up of classroom style teaching for candidates who apply and are selected to attend. Topics vary depending on jurisdiction.
ILFA currently plans to run the following LEA in 2019
| Location | Local Partner | Proposed Date | Subject focus |
| Lagos, Nigeria | Nigerian Bar Association- Section on business law | 25-27 March 2019 | Banking & Finance |
ILFA/NBA-SBL Banking & Finance Academy
The ILFA/NBA-SBL Banking and Finance Academy is designed to assist junior finance lawyers in furthering their legal knowledge and expertise in the field of banking and finance. The course is made up of practical and interactive modules and aims to provide attendees with a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of banking and finance law.
The objectives of the programme are to enable participants to:
- Understand the main types and structures of corporate borrowing, and how lenders raise money
- Understand the general structure of a loan facility agreement and its key clauses
- Understand the reasons for and methods of transfers of loans by banks
- Appreciate the concepts of taking and perfecting security
- Consider the reasons for and methods of subordination
- Understand capital markets and types of debt security, and the form and nature of a bond
- Review of insolvency law for debt finance lawyers
- Understand tax matters relevant to banking lawyers
- Understand the nature of derivatives and how the market in derivatives works
- Understand different types of financing relevant in Nigeria
Course Duration
- Day 1 – Programme launch/welcome event (Morning only)
- Day 2 & 3 – Training sessions
- Day 4 – Graduation ceremony/Course certification
Course Structure
- Overview courses
- Introduction to finance and types of financing
- Understanding syndication and club deals
- Project finance overview
- Corporate finance overview
- Understanding term sheets
- Facility agreements & other finance documents
- Covenants and representations
- Ratios and financial covenants
- Security types and structures
- Restructuring and insolvency
- Transaction management
- Spotlight on Project, energy and infrastructure finance
Target Audience
- The programme is open to all banking & finance lawyers from private practices, in house legal teams and government departments.
- Places are available for 75 lawyers.
- Lawyers must have between 2.5 and 5 years post qualification experience and currently be working on active banking and finance matters.
Selection criteria
Programme participation is by selection only.
Interested parties can apply for a place on the course via the ILFA website in February 2019. Applicants will be invited to write an application statement highlighting their relevant banking and finance experience, their motivations for wanting to participate in the academy and their learning objectives.
ILFA will conduct a screening process to determine the most eligible applicants for the course. In reviewing applications ILFA will take the following criteria into consideration:
- Academic profile and professional achievement
- A strong personal statement that clearly articulates reasons for wanting to participate on the course
- A genuine commitment to the Nigerian banking and finance sector
- Supporting references from employer or supervisor
To apply for ILFA/NBA-SBL Banking & Finance Academy 2019, please click here: