4th Kojo Bentsi-Enchill Memorial Lecture: Honouring a legacy, Strengthening Africa’s legal future

Published September 9, 2025

On Thursday 4th September 2025, Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah (BELA) hosted the 4th Kojo Bentsi-Enchill Memorial Lecture, in honour of its late founder, Mr. Kojo Bentsi-Enchill. The event was graced by the Hon. Dr. Dominic Ayine, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Emmanuel Amofa – Managing Partner, Amofa & Partners and Funke Adekoya an international arbitrator. Also in attendance was Ace Annan Ankomah a pre-eminent legal practitioner alongside other esteemed members of the legal fraternity. 

In his opening address, Mr. Seth Asante, Managing Partner of BELA, paid a solemn tribute to the firm’s late founder. He reaffirmed BELA’s enduring commitment to the founder’s values of legal excellence, intellectual discipline, and mentorship. He observed that the lecture series remains a living testament to those principles.

Following the firm’s tribute, a deeply personal family reflection came from Reverend Stella Bentsi-Enchill who reflected on Kojo’s brilliance, compassion, and quiet strength. She celebrated him as both a mentor and moral compass, whose lifelong service left an indelible mark on his family, the profession, and the wider faith community.

For his part,  the Honourable Dominic Ayine, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, hailed Mr. Bentsi-Enchill as a visionary whose intellect shaped generations of lawyers and strengthened national institutions. He described the lecture’s theme as timely, urging Africa to consolidate its legal frameworks and bolster global confidence in the continent’s dispute resolution systems.

The keynote address was delivered by Mrs. Funke Adekoya SAN, a respected arbitrator with over fifty years of practice. She offered a compelling analysis of Africa’s evolving role in international arbitration, stressing the importance of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Mrs. Adekoya urged African states to fortify their domestic legal systems, underscoring that credible and efficient dispute resolution regimes are essential for investor protection.

Panel Discussions

The event featured insightful panel discussions addressing key aspects of Africa’s evolving legal landscape. Key considerations included: the complexities of international commercial disputes, offering comparative perspectives on arbitration frameworks, BIT implementation, and Africa’s readiness to anchor investor confidence through transparent and enforceable legal regimes.

In closing, Mr. Divine Letsa, the Chairperson for the occasion, commended the speakers and panelists for their depth of thought and reaffirmed the importance of the lecture series as a platform for rigorous legal reflection and professional growth.