Stakeholders push for stronger African role in global arbitration, back Nigeria as dispute resolution hub

L-R: Chartered Arbitrator, Osinachi Chambers, Dr. Chikwendu Madumere; Secretary General, ICC Nigeria, Olubunmi Osuntuyi; Deputy Director, Arbitration & ADR Africa, ICC Dispute Resolution Services, Paris, Nwamara Inegbenoise; Vice Chair, ICC Commission, Paris, Patrick Ikwueto SAN; Chair, ICCN Arbitration and ADR Commission, Prof Dorothy Udeme Ufot SAN; Vice Chair, Arbitration Commission, Dr. Babatunde Ajibade SAN; Co-Chair, 10th ICC Africa Conference, Jean Chiazor Anishere SAN; 1st Vice President, Nigerian Bar Association, Sabastine Anyia at the 10th ICC Africa Arbitration Conference in Lagos.

Stakeholders in Africa’s dispute resolution ecosystem have called for a stronger continental presence in global arbitration, urging governments, businesses and legal institutions to work together to position Africa and Nigeria in particular as a preferred destination for the resolution of international commercial disputes.

The call was made at the 10th ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration held in Lagos, where the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework to attract international arbitration.

Represented by former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), Fagbemi said the government was committed to implementing reforms that would enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness as an arbitration-friendly jurisdiction.

He assured participants that recommendations emerging from the conference would receive serious consideration, stressing that his office would work towards translating the outcomes into concrete policy actions.

“The Attorney-General is committed to using the instrumentality of his office to ensure that whatever resolutions and recommendations emerge from this conference are given effect,” Maikyau said.

According to him, the government’s ambition is to establish Nigeria not only as Africa’s leading arbitration seat but also as a destination for resolving commercial disputes involving parties from Europe, Asia, the Americas and other regions.

As part of that strategy, he disclosed that the Federal Government has constituted a committee to review Nigeria’s national arbitration policy and assess the implementation of the Arbitration and Mediation Act with a view to strengthening the country’s dispute resolution framework.

The committee, chaired by Maikyau, is expected to identify areas requiring reform and recommend measures that will improve investor confidence and make Nigeria more attractive for international arbitration.

Dorothy Ufot (SAN), chair of ICC Africa, described the conference’s 10th anniversary as a milestone in Africa’s arbitration journey, noting that the platform has played a significant role in amplifying the continent’s voice within the global dispute resolution community. She noted that the conference had fostered collaboration among legal practitioners, businesses and policymakers while contributing to the development of international arbitration across Africa.

According to her, the anniversary edition presents an opportunity not only to celebrate past achievements but also to chart a new course for the future of dispute resolution on the continent.

Ufot observed that the changing nature of global commerce and cross-border investment requires African arbitration institutions to remain innovative, competitive and globally relevant.

She also commended the leadership of the ICC International Court of Arbitration for building one of the world’s most respected dispute resolution institutions and called for stronger partnerships among governments, arbitral institutions and the private sector to increase Africa’s influence in shaping the future of international arbitration.

In his remarks, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN) said Africa has made remarkable progress in legal education, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution but must assume greater ownership of disputes arising from commercial transactions conducted on the continent.

He noted that despite increasing intra-African trade and investment, many commercial disputes involving African parties are still resolved in foreign jurisdictions, resulting in the export of both legal work and economic value.

Osigwe argued that Africa possesses the expertise, institutions and human capital required to resolve complex commercial disputes efficiently and credibly.

“The world needs to know that there are fantastic men and women, highly cerebral men and women, who can resolve commercial disputes arising out of Africa here on the continent,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to promote Africa not merely as a source of commercial disputes but as a trusted venue for their resolution, warning that the continent cannot shape the global arbitration landscape while continuing to export disputes and import solutions.

Osigwe further called on participants to highlight Africa’s progress in arbitration reforms, institutional development and judicial support for alternative dispute resolution, expressing confidence that the conference would strengthen global confidence in African arbitration centres and showcase the continent’s capacity to handle sophisticated international commercial disputes.