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Symposium

A two-day high-level symposium on constitutional governance in Commonwealth Africa

Constitutionalism in an Age of Transformation

Strengthening People’s Voices, Democratic Accountability and Inclusive Governance

WhenFebruary 2027
WhereUniversity of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Submit an abstract Register your interest
  • People
  • Accountability
  • Inclusion
  • A stronger tomorrow
Ideas | Dialogue | Solutions for a stronger constitutional future

About the symposium

Constitutionalism in an Age of Transformation: Strengthening People’s Voices, Democratic Accountability and Inclusive Governance is a two-day high-level symposium aimed at strengthening constitutional democracy, institutional accountability and inclusive governance across Commonwealth Africa.

The symposium will convene policymakers, judicial officers, legislators, legal experts, civil society leaders, academics and technology professionals to examine emerging constitutional challenges. Discussions will address digital freedoms, electoral integrity, corruption, devolution, intergovernmental dispute resolution, artificial intelligence and digital financial regulation.

The symposium will promote comparative learning, constructive dialogue and practical policy solutions, culminating in actionable recommendations, a policy report and follow-up institutional engagement.

Objectives

  1. Examine emerging constitutional, institutional and technological challenges affecting democratic governance.
  2. Strengthen understanding of constitutional principles, separation of powers, institutional accountability and the rule of law.
  3. Promote citizens’ participation, civic freedoms and inclusive decision-making.
  4. Explore effective constitutional and intergovernmental dispute resolution mechanisms.
  5. Facilitate comparative learning and knowledge exchange across Commonwealth African jurisdictions.
  6. Develop actionable recommendations for institutional reform, responsible regulation and democratic accountability.

Who will attend

  • Policymakers
  • Judicial officers
  • Legislators
  • Legal experts and practitioners
  • Civil society leaders
  • Academics
  • Technology professionals
  • Media professionals

Thematic focus

Four interconnected pillars, addressed through six policy panels over two days.

Day one

Democratic accountability and constitutional governance

  • Panel 1: Social media, state censorship and the regulation of digital platforms

    Freedom of expression, digital civic spaces, constitutional limits on state censorship, private platform accountability and digital sovereignty.

  • Panel 2: Elections, corruption, organised crime and the rule of law

    Electoral integrity, illicit political influence, campaign finance, corruption, organised crime and institutional safeguards for democratic accountability.

  • Panel 3: Devolution, environmental governance and constitutional powers

    Fiscal federalism, natural resource governance, overlapping constitutional authority, environmental accountability and the relationship between national and subnational institutions.

Day two

Constitutional dispute resolution and emerging technologies

  • Panel 4: Collaborative governance and mediation of intergovernmental disputes

    Constitutional mediation, intergovernmental cooperation, institutional deadlocks and effective mechanisms for resolving disputes between different levels and organs of government.

  • Panel 5: Artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and constitutional rights

    Artificial intelligence, privacy, data protection, algorithmic accountability, equality, due process and the constitutional implications of emerging technologies.

  • Panel 6: Cryptocurrencies, digital finance, taxation and regulatory authority

    Digital assets, central bank digital currencies, taxation, financial regulation, consumer protection and constitutional limits on regulatory power.

Call for papers

Original research papers are invited for presentation at the symposium and consideration for publication in a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal on Constitutional Governance in Commonwealth Africa.

Sub-themes (indicative)

  • Constitutional democracy and institutional reform
  • Comparative constitutionalism in Africa
  • Digital rights, AI and emerging technologies
  • Electoral integrity and corruption
  • Intergovernmental relations and devolution
  • Environmental governance and constitutional law
  • Digital finance, taxation and regulatory authority
  • Human rights, inclusion and democratic accountability
  • Any other related topic within the symposium theme

Important dates

  • Abstract submission deadline30 November 2026
  • Notification of acceptance31 December 2026
  • Full paper submission31 January 2027
  • Symposium datesFebruary 2027
  • Journal publication2027 (post-symposium)

Submission guidelines. Abstracts (max 300 words) and full papers should be submitted via the symposium website (to be announced) in the specified format. Selected papers will be invited for publication in a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal.

Submit an abstract

Expected outcomes

  • Actionable recommendations
  • A comprehensive policy report
  • Follow-up institutional engagement
  • Strengthened networks for ongoing collaboration

Partnership opportunities

Corporate and institutional partnerships will support research, inclusive participation, knowledge exchange and policy dissemination, contributing to stronger constitutional institutions, democratic accountability and responsive governance.

Become a partner