By Sunday Ani
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has announced the inaugural ICC Nigeria Arbitration Days.
Scheduled for July 3 and , 2024, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, the event will mark a significant milestone in the field of international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
Building on the success of the ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration, which was hosted in Nigeria from 2016 to 2023 and now moves to Nairobi, Kenya, the ICC Nigeria Arbitration days will explore the theme: “Harnessing the Prospects of Arbitration and ADR in Emerging International Arbitration Hubs.”
Participants will include company executives, lawyers in private and corporate practice, arbitration and ADR practitioners, judges, accountants, architects, quantity surveyors, expert witnesses, and students. The event promises excellent networking opportunities and insights from renowned local and international arbitration practitioners.
The experts will share insights on global developments in international arbitration, emphasising its role as the preferred mechanism for resolving complex business disputes across sectors such as EPC contracts, oil and gas, LNG, shipping, telecommunications, manufacturing, international trade, construction, infrastructure, and financial services.
“As Nigeria strives to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) across all sectors of the economy, the ability to manage and resolve disputes effectively is crucial. The ICC Nigeria Arbitration days aims to equip stakeholders with the necessary knowledge and tools to handle disputes proactively, fostering a more favourable investment climate.
“The ICC – Nigeria arbitration days will be a gathering of the brightest minds in Arbitration and ADR to shape the future of dispute resolution in Africa, with participants walking away with the knowledge, connections and inspiration to revolutionise their practice and transform the continent’s arbitration landscape.”
Dorothy Udeme Ufot, SAN, is the chairman of ICC, Nigeria Arbitration and ADR commission.
According to Jean Chiazor Anishere, co-chairman of the planning committee of the conference, “the time for innovation in arbitration and ADR is now. Let us make it happen.”
Patrick Ikwueto, co-chairman of the Planning Committee of the conference, also said: “Africa’s arbitration and ADR landscape is evolving. Be part of the transformation.”