By Stephen Simon
The Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators has called for stronger government support, greater use of technology and continuous professional development to strengthen arbitration and alternative dispute resolution in Nigeria.
The institute said the measures were necessary to improve confidence in arbitration, attract more commercial disputes to the country and position Nigeria as a preferred destination for both domestic and international arbitration.
NICArb made the call on Thursday during a courtesy visit to PUNCH Nigeria Limited in Lagos ahead of its 2026 annual conference scheduled for November 18 and 19.
The institute said Nigeria already had an important foundation for developing arbitration, particularly with the Arbitration and Mediation Act providing a modern legal framework for the practice.
However, practitioners said legislation alone would not be enough to make Nigeria competitive in the international arbitration market. They stressed the need for institutions and government agencies to build greater confidence in the country’s dispute-resolution system.
NICArb also disclosed that it was expanding its reach beyond its existing centres in Lagos and Abuja, while working with multi-door courthouse initiatives across the country to improve access to alternative dispute resolution.
The institute said it was also working on small-claims rules as part of efforts to broaden access to arbitration and make dispute resolution more accessible to ordinary Nigerians and smaller businesses.
A member of NICArb, Mayowa Odubela, said stronger government backing was particularly important because the failure of some government institutions to comply with arbitral awards could undermine confidence in the entire system.
He argued that when parties win arbitration awards but face difficulties enforcing them, businesses may become reluctant to choose Nigeria as a place for resolving commercial disputes.
The issue is significant because Nigeria has already taken steps towards becoming a major arbitration hub. In June, the Federal Government said it was reviewing the National Policy on Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution and seeking to position Nigeria as a preferred seat for international commercial arbitration.
The government’s stated ambition is to attract commercial disputes from Africa and other parts of the world, while strengthening the legal and institutional environment needed to make Nigeria competitive in the global dispute-resolution market.
For NICArb, achieving that ambition will require more than attracting foreign cases. It will also require developing skilled arbitrators, improving technology, ensuring effective enforcement of awards and convincing businesses that disputes can be resolved efficiently and fairly in Nigeria.
The institute’s position therefore highlights an important link between justice, investor confidence and economic development: where businesses trust the dispute-resolution system, they are more likely to bring transactions and investments into the country.
NICArb, which has promoted arbitration and ADR in Nigeria since 1979 and has more than 7,000 members, says its broader objective is to make Nigeria a leading centre for alternative dispute resolution in West Africa.
The challenge now is turning that ambition into a system in which businesses—both Nigerian and international—believe that when commercial disagreements arise, Nigeria offers not only a legal framework, but a dependable and enforceable path to justice.
