Conflict resolution: Bayelsa stakeholders advocate increased ADR adoption

Stakeholders in Bayelsa State have called for increased use of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) method in resolving disputes in the state at the second sensitization conference of the Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse.

The conference with the theme: ‘Policy Dialogue On Justice Reforms and the topic: Re-Imagining Justice In Bayelsa’ brought together top government officials, legislators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to deliberate on new pathways to dispute resolution in the state.

Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State, who declared the conference open on Thursday, declared his administration’s readiness to partner the judiciary and other critical stakeholders to create more public awareness and acceptance of ADR as a means of settling conflicts.

Diri who was represented by Peter Akpe, his deputy, described ADR as a viable option for resolving disputes among individuals, groups and corporate organizations, saying it saves time and reduces cost as well as preserving communal peace.

He acknowledged the relevance of the traditional courts in justice administration, but canvassed for increased use of ADR, as it is not only faster and fairer but also within the reach of the ordinary citizens of any society.

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Commenting on the conference theme, he said policy dialogue on justice reforms along the corridors of ADR was not meant for government and the judiciary alone, but for all stakeholders cutting across the traditional institutions, civil society organizations, and the masses to embrace ADR.

He charged the participants to make commitments they could uphold at the end of the conference, noting that the goal of the reforms would only take root if they were embraced by the Nigerian Bar and amplified by the traditional institutions and civil society groups.

His words: “It is a privilege to stand before this distinguished gathering to declare open the second Stakeholders Sensitization Conference of the Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse. That we have returned for a second edition is in itself a statement of intent that the conversation about ADR in our state is not a one-off ceremony, but a deliberate, sustained reform.

“Our theme, ‘Policy Dialogue on Justice Reforms,’ and our topic, ‘Re-Imagining Justice in Bayelsa,’ could not be timelier. For too long, our people have understood justice as something distant and slow, a long wait in crowded courtrooms, mounting costs, and outcomes that too often leave relationships more broken than before.

“To re-imagine justice is to insist that it can be different: faster, fairer, more humane, and within reach of the ordinary citizen.

“That is the promise of the Multi Door Courthouse. The very name carries the idea that the courtroom is not the only door to justice. Mediation is a door. Arbitration is a door. Conciliation and negotiation are also doors.

“The Multi Door Courthouse opens these alternative pathways so that disputes can be resolved on terms that preserve dignity, save time, reduce cost, and keep our communities at peace. In a State like ours, where harmony among communities is precious, this is not a luxury; it is a necessity.

“This administration, under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, has consistently held that development and the rule of law are inseparable. There can be no lasting prosperity where citizens do not trust that their grievances will be heard and fairly settled. Investors look for it. Communities depend on it. Families are held together or torn apart by it.

“Strengthening alternative dispute resolution is therefore not a matter of lawyers alone; it is a matter of public good, and government remains a committed partner in this work.

“But re-imagining justice cannot be the task of government or the judiciary alone. It is the reason this is a stakeholders’ conference. The reforms that we seek will only take root if the Nigerian Bar embraces them, if our traditional institutions champion them, if civil society amplifies them, and if the ordinary Bayelsan comes to know that there is a faster, fairer door open to them. Each of you in this room is a custodian of that message.”

Also speaking, Matilda Abrakasa Ayemieye, Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, said against the backdrop of the substantial case backlogs, congestion and delays, the National Judicial Policy has now recognized ADR as a critical tool for improving access to justice and reducing delays in judicial proceedings.

Ayemieye noted that the Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse has emerged as a strategic institution within the justice architecture, representing a deliberate shift from a justice system defined solely by litigation to one that prioritizes problem-solving, consensus-building, and timely outcomes.

Describing the theme of the conference as both timely and compelling, she informed that it was conceived as a strategic intervention to deepen public awareness of ADR and demonstrate its relevance to justice delivery, social cohesion and economic development in Bayelsa State.

She said: “Across Nigeria, the challenge of case congestion and delays continue to place significant pressure on the courts. Reports indicate that superior courts across the federation continue to grapple with substantial case backlogs, underscoring the urgent need for innovative approaches to dispute resolution.

“The National Judicial Policy recognizes Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a critical tool for improving access to justice and reducing delays in judicial proceedings. The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal now have Mediation Centres. It is against this backdrop that the Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse has emerged as a strategic institution within our justice architecture.

“A defining moment in the evolution of Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse was the successful hosting of its maiden public sensitization programme in February 2025. The programme was conceived as a strategic intervention to deepen public awareness of Alternative Dispute Resolution and to demonstrate its relevance to justice delivery, social cohesion, and economic development in Bayelsa State.”

Dorothy Udeme Ufot, SAN, who delivered the keynote address on Re-Imagining Justice In Bayelsa, said the calls for increased use of ADR in conflict resolution was due to prolonged litigation, congested court dockets, high cost of legal proceedings, procedural complexities, and

Inadequate infrastructure and limited public awareness of available dispute resolution mechanisms.

She said: An efficient justice system promotes economic growth and investment, social stability and peaceful coexistence, protection of human rights, strengthening of democratic institutions, public trust in government and the reduction of poverty and inequality.”

While calling for increased use of ADR, she said the Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse “has shown that justice can be faster, justice can be more accessible, justice can be less adversarial, and ustice can be more humane.”

Collins Ebi-Daniel, Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, in his welcome address said the conference would provide an invaluable platform for reflection, engagement, and the exchange of ideas on the future of justice administration in Bayelsa and beyond.

According to him, the thrust of the dialogue reflected the collective need to re-examine and strengthen the justice delivery system through the effective utilisation of the Multi-Door Courthouse as a vehicle for promoting accessible, efficient and citizen-centered justice.

In his goodwill message, Biriyai Dambo, SAN, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Bayelsa State, described the event as a sustained commitment to strengthen justice reforms and expand the frontiers of ADR in the state, noting that the increase in participation by stakeholders from diverse sectors was an indication of the growing acceptance of ADR in dispute resolution.

Others who delivered goodwill messages at the event included Clement Kekemeke, Chairman, Yenagoa Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Solomon Ebobra, Vice Chancellor, University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Bubaraye Dakolo, Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, and Ebiekibo Pagason, State Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICarB).