The Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has called for the establishment of more arbitration institutions and inclusion of other forms of dispute resolution in schools curricular especially at the tertiary level.
Mr Malami made this call in a keynote address delivered at the 2022 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators in Lagos.
Mr Malami, who was represented by a director in the ministry, Mr Larry Nwudu, and his deputy Motunrayo Odeditan, also urged legal practitioners to make Nigeria the seat of arbitration, especially where the subject matter of the dispute involved the country.
This, he said, will not only promote arbitration practice in Nigeria but also enhanced tourism and create a notable surge in foreign direct investment which would in turn boost the nation’s economy.
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Malami promised that government on its part would ensure the growth of arbitration by encouraging autonomy of arbitration organization in a bid to make the country become an international arbitration centre.
Contributing, a Supreme Court Justice, Chima Nweze, stated that with the available arbitration laws and institutions in Africa, it was safe to conclude that Africa had achieved reasonable strides towards becoming an investment-friendly and resolution environment.
Justice Nweze, however, said that there is need for African governments to conscientiously drive infrastructural
development that provides safe and efficient cities.
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In a remark, the President and Chairman of council, NICArb, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, said it was commendable that the federal government had heeded the call by arbitration and ADR practitioners and the need to update arbitration laws.
He noted that the NICArb Annual Arbitration/ADR Conference has become a strong platform for practitioners to discuss prospects and resolve challenges of dispute resolution outside the courts.
The theme of the two-day conference was “The Future of Arbitration and ADR in Africa: Developments and Sustainability.”
