By Vivian Emoni
Roseline Nwosu, Chairperson, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, (Ciarb) Abuja Chapter, says Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is central to speedy, efficient and predictable dispute settlement, boosting investors’ confidence and commercial certainty.
Nwosu said this at the Arbitration Symposium 2026, organised by Ciarb, Abuja Chapter, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The event is themed “ADR In Practice: Driving Speed, Innovation, and Commercial Certainty in Nigeria.”
She emphasised the growing importance of ADR in addressing modern commercial challenges and reducing court delay.
“The programme focused on speed, innovation and commercial certainty. The symposium also aimed to strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms in Nigeria.
“ADR has evolved beyond an alternative to become a core pillar of effective dispute resolution and its relevance depends on delivering speed, efficiency, predictability and enforceability,” she said.
Nwosu said discussions would centre on practical solutions to reduce delay in dispute resolution processes as well as examining how innovation could be responsibly integrated into ADR systems.
She highlighted the need to build trust and confidence among businesses and investors, adding that ADR was committed to achieving such trust for investors.
She commended the organisers for supporting the symposium, while expressing optimism that the engagement would yield impactful outcomes for Nigeria’s dispute resolution landscape.
Dr Chikwendu Madumere, Deputy Chairman and Trustee for Africa on Board of Trustees (Ciarb) for UK, said the symposium focused on advancing dispute resolution and strengthening justice delivery in Nigeria.
Madumere noted that international law obliged states to guarantee effective remedies, describing access to justice as the ability to enforce personal, contractual and proprietary rights.
“These obligations are reflected in Nigeria’s constitution, which guarantees fundamental rights and vests judicial powers in courts to adjudicate disputes among citizens and government institutions,” he said.
He said parties could opt out of litigation through agreements, choosing mechanisms such as negotiation, mediation or arbitration to resolve disputes.
He explained that ADR represented a recognised justice system, enabling parties to settle contractual and investment disputes outside conventional court processes.
He noted with concern that Nigeria’s justice system faced delay and declining public trust, while urging stakeholders to strengthen ADR’s role in improving justice delivery.
He said discussions focused on ADR, including arbitration, mediation and negotiation, as effective tools for resolving commercial disputes.
According to him, Nigerian law promotes ADR, while government policy supports arbitration as a preferred mechanism for settling commercial disputes.
Madumere described ADR as effective and efficient, noting that arbitration offered a faster and more flexible process compared to conventional court proceedings.
He said the principle of consent remained central to arbitration, adding that parties must agree before disputes could be resolved through such mechanisms.
He advised contracting parties to include arbitration or mediation clauses in agreements to enable seamless dispute resolution when conflicts arise.
Madumere said lack of prior agreement often made it difficult for parties to adopt ADR after disputes had already emerged.
Mr Godwin Idiagbonya, Chair of Organising Committee of the symposium, said awareness remained critical, noting that people could only utilise arbitration when they understood its relevance and benefits.
Idiagbonya said the symposium aimed to promote awareness of ADR through engagement with lawyers, judges and the public to encourage wider adoption. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Isaac Aregbesola
