The Nigerian branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the internationally recognised body of Arbitrators and alternative dispute resolvers, has announced plans to hold this year’s edition of its annual conference and gala night slated for November 2nd to 3rd in Lagos.
The conference, which will be taking place at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island Lagos, is themed, ‘Strengthening the Building Blocks of Arbitration in Africa’.
Speaking at a media conference in Lagos last Thursday, Doyin Rhodes-Vivour, chairperson of the Institute, said that the conference has not only grown in reputation but has attracted global audience including investors, corporate bodies, financial institutions and practitioners.
According to her, the annual conference, which started since 1999, has achieved excellence that has helped to position it as a leading ADR institution within the shores of Nigeria and beyond. “Preparations are ongoing to ensure that this year’s conference builds on the success of past conferences for an even more insightful event because government functionaries, arbitrators, practitioners and members of judiciary are expected to grace the occasion.”
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She further disclosed that ahead of this year’s conference, there would be the maiden edition of the Young Members Group (YMG) conference, which would take place on November 1st at same venue with the theme, “In Pursuit of an Arbitration Practice- Where Do I Stand?”
“The YMG conference will feature two plenary sessions with set of discussants drawn from seasoned dispute resolution practitioners across the globe. YMG conference is going to be free upon the registration for the 2017 CIArb annual conference,” she said.
On the achievement of the Institute, she said that CIArb, which has existed for over 100 years, has played a pivotal role in the training of practitioners in Arbitration and ADR in developing rules, ethics and guidelines, thereby enabling the availability of trained and certified Arbitrators across the world.
“The Institute through its qualitative, academics courses and events effectively regulates the quality of trained practitioners, who function as Arbitrators and Mediators. Apart from educating and training Arbitrators and Mediators, the Institute acts as an international centre for providing practitioners, policy makers, academics and businesses with cost-effective and early settlement of disputes,” she said.
Folashade Alli, chairman of the conference planning committee, who assured expected guests that all logistics have been put in place to ensure a successful conference, said that the committee has carefully selected renowned speakers from different fields to do justices to the contemporary issues around arbitration and ADR in Africa with the view of identifying the challenges and steps to strengthen Arbitration in Africa.
She said that the conference would provide opportunity for lawyers to enrich themselves with relevant illustrative contents and also have opportunity to network with who is who in the industry.
“Doyin Rhodes-Vivour, will deliver the welcome address: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State is expected to deliver the keynote address; Justice Opeyemi Oke, chief judge of Lagos State and A.B. Mahmoud, SAN, who is the president of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), are expected to take goodwill messages,” Alli stated.
Some of speakers include Bayo Ojo, SAN; Funke Adekoya, SAN; Stephen Karangizi, ADB; Timothy Lemay of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law; Marie-Camille Pitton of Aceris Law, Robert Wheal of White and Case LP and many others.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
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