It was a pleasure to host Mr Adekola Thompson for our first episode of the CLI Podcast.

Mr Thompson's expertise at the intersection of law and tech is evident through the conversation. We explore his journey into law and what pulled him into technology.

Our guest's profile:

Adekola Thompson is a Pan-African and technology-oriented lawyer. He is a vibrant and forward-thinking individual, who represents ALP NG & Co on its Pan-African ALP Trade team that advocates for the private sector inclusion of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) for business strategies and African unity. He is well versed in emerging technologies, most notably, blockchain technology and the adoption of web 3.0 to service structures through legal analysis and business risk assessment. When he is not reading an article or learning something new, you can find him working out at the gym or singing at a karaoke bar near you.

Key takeaways:

* Infrastructure remains a major challenge in Africa - especially energy and data centers and the importance of ESG compliance

* It is key to understand and extract value from emerging technologies

* Africa cannot afford to be closed in a globalised world - we need to adopt a pragmatic approach to our growth

* The various protocols under AfCFTA feed into each other and are critical to unlocking the promise of AfCFTA

His advice to young lawyers: "Learn the technology!"

Thank you for your time Mr Thompson!