King's College London

Africa Construction Law and the Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution at King’s are conducting the first large-scale empirical study of construction disputes in Africa, covering the whole construction sector, including oil and gas, energy, mining and infrastructure.

Construction is one of the most dispute-prone industries in the world, and Africa's rapidly expanding construction sector makes this an urgent area for rigorous empirical inquiry. Yet the data on why disputes arise, how they are resolved, and what works or does not work in Africa remains limited.

This research aims to change that. By gathering structured data from practitioners, organisations, and dispute resolution institutions across the continent, we seek to produce the most comprehensive picture yet of construction disputes in Africa: their causes, the fora used to resolve them, the parties involved, the applicable legal frameworks, and users’ experience of how the dispute resolution process works, including in relation to cost, duration, court involvement and overall effectiveness.

The findings will be published in a joint report by Africa Construction Law and the Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution at King’s, contributing to the evidence base for better dispute management practices, legal reform, and policy development across Africa.

Purpose of the study

The study gathers empirical data on construction disputes relating to construction projects in Africa between January 2021 and December 2025 (inclusive). Key areas of investigation include:

• The number and frequency of construction disputes in Africa
• The dispute resolution forums and mechanisms used (arbitration, litigation, adjudication, mediation, dispute boards, and others)
• Common causes of disputes
• The types of parties involved (employers, contractors, consultants, subcontractors, and others)
• Applicable laws and institutional frameworks
• Users’ experience of the cost, duration, and effectiveness of dispute resolution

Research team

• Prof. Renato Nazzini KC: Director, Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution, King's College London and Barrister, Monckton Chambers
• Raquel Macedo Moreira: Research Associate, Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution, King's College London
• Ngo-Martins Okonmah: Founder and Chair, Africa Construction Law and Partner, Aluko & Oyebode
• Asiya Ali: Associate, Aluko & Oyebode

Steering Committee

• Ademola Bamgbose: Senior Associate, Hogan Lovells (United Kingdom)
• Dr Engy Serag: Executive Director of Contracts and Claims, Orascom Construction Plc (Egypt)
• Ilham Kabbouri: Senior Associate, Vinson & Elkins (UAE)
• Michelle Porter Wright: Partner, Head of Dispute Resolution, Baker McKenzie (South Africa)
• Nagla Nassar: Senior Partner, NassaLaw (Egypt)
• Omonigho Oyoma Brown: Corporate Head of Contract Management, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC (Nigeria)
• Paula Ochango: Legal Counsel Africa and Compliance Focal Point Kenya, Mota-Engil (Kenya)
• Primah Atugonza Kyambadde: Principal Legal Counsel and PPP & Infrastructure Sector Lead, The African Legal Support Facility (Côte d'Ivoire)
• Sofia Vale: Independent Arbitrator (Angola)

Who can participate?

The survey is designed for three categories of respondents. You are invited to take part if you fall into any of the following categories:

Organisations

Any legal entity - public or private - that is or has been a party to, or otherwise directly involved in, a construction project or a construction dispute in Africa. This includes employers, contractors, consultants, subcontractors, suppliers, public authorities, and state-owned enterprises.

Practitioners

Any individual who, in a professional capacity, is or has been involved in the resolution of construction disputes or the management of construction projects in Africa. This includes lawyers, arbitrators, adjudicators, mediators, engineers, project managers, claims consultants, and other construction professionals.

Dispute Resolution Institutions

Any organisation whose mandate includes the administration, management, or facilitation of dispute resolution processes, whether specialised exclusively in construction disputes or not. Institutions are asked to consent to being identified by name in the published research outputs.

Not sure which category applies to you? The survey itself will guide you. Each version is tailored to a specific respondent category and takes between 10 and 15 minutes to complete.

Methods

• Empirical survey research using structured questionnaires
• Three separate surveys, each designed for a specific respondent category
• Coverage of construction disputes relating to projects located in Africa
• Reference period: January 2021 to December 2025 (inclusive)
• Data collected, held, and analysed by the Africa Construction Law and the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, King's College London
• Survey designed with the support of an expert Steering Committee
• Findings to be published in a joint report by Africa Construction Law and the Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution at King's College London

Take part

Your participation will help produce robust, continent-wide data that serves the interests of construction professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders across Africa.

Click here to respond to the survey.

Confidentiality and data protection

Participation by Practitioners and Organisations is entirely anonymous. No information will be collected that could identify individual respondents, and no respondent will be identifiable in any research output or publication.

Dispute Resolution Institutions that choose to participate are asked to consent to being identified by name as respondents in the published report.

Data collected and processed by King's College London will be processed under the terms of UK data protection law (including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018). Data collected and processed by Africa Construction Law will be held and managed by ACL in accordance with applicable data protection laws. Each institution bears sole responsibility for its own data treatment, storage, and use.

If you would like more information about how your data will be processed under the terms of UK data protection laws, visit this page. For data collected and processed by Africa Construction Law, please contact ACL directly for information about their applicable data protection framework, please visit their website.

Participation is entirely voluntary. You may withdraw from the survey at any point before submission.