Oyo State Governor, ’Seyi Makinde, says Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) will reduce the stress on Nigerian courts.
He added that the ADR mechanism is in the best interest of all concerned to find alternative, yet legal, ways of speeding up the process of resolution.
The governor spoke at the conference of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) in Ibadan,where he also Nigeria’s judicial system is overburdened, adding that the innovative use of the ADR process can improve the effectiveness of the system.
He assured that his administration will ensure effective collaboration between the judiciary and arbitrators in the state.
Governor Makinde added that his administration will be readily available to contribute towards making the collaboration between the judiciary and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators more effective in the state.
“It is great to know that Africa has the technical expertise and skills to guarantee well-conducted proceedings. So, being able to address the issues surrounding the lack of confidence in the arbitration system is paramount. As Africa becomes more closely knit through trade, conflict will surely arise.
“The African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, comes to mind. From a businessman’s point of view, an ADR mechanism that everyone has confidence in will go a long way. When people know they can quickly go through a dispute resolution process and reach a mutually acceptable resolution, they are more likely to do business together.
“In fact, just last week, at the Oyo State Summit on Agribusiness, the point was made that one of the reasons that African countries do not trade with each other as much as they should is legal issues around trade agreement, and the CIArb came up with ways of resolving these issues.
“These are the type of solution-driven innovative thinking that will make Africa thrive economically,” Makinde said.
