The Africa Arbitration Academy was conceived due to the rising demand for improved expertise and training of arbitration practitioners in Africa and to expose young practitioners to the current trends and developments in international commercial and investment treaty arbitration. The inaugural Academy program was held in London (June 2019) and taught by international arbitration experts (academics and practitioners), heads of arbitration institutions, in-house counsel and judges. The overall objective of the Academy is to provide the much-needed specialized training to young arbitration practitioners from Africa and to equip them with the right set of skills to succeed within the international arbitration community. The Academy is perceived as a game changer in the world of arbitration in Africa and is impacting the lives of legal practitioners in the continent. It was voted “Innovation of the Year” at the Africa Arbitration Awards, held in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2019. The Academy's Protocol on Virtual Hearings in Africa has won several awards including the “Innovation in Arbitration Award”. The Model BIT for Africa published by the Academy was nominated for three awards at the 2023 GAR Awards - including "best development", "best innovation" and "sustainability in arbitration" awards.

The Academy is led by Dr. Abayomi Okubote, FCIArb with the support of the Management Team.