Ten leading African lawyers completed a three-month training and relationship-building programme at top City firms this week, in a scheme designed to improve UK links at a time when there is high demand for English-qualified lawyers on the African continent.

The International Lawyers for Africa (ILFA) programme, which is supported by the Law Society, involved 10 City firms, including Clifford Chance, SJ Berwin, Herbert Smith, Lovells, Eversheds and Berwin Leighton Paisner.

The African lawyers who successfully competed for a place on the programme were chosen from countries including Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda. They were given training in international law as well as legal practice skills.

Nankunda Katangaza, Law Society international policy manager and ILFA director, said: ‘UK law firms are increasingly looking for lasting relationships with their African counterparts. Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern investment is at an all-time high in Africa, and English commercial law applies to many of the big-money contracts.’