The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Attorneys-General, leading arbitration experts, and business leaders from more than 30 countries are expected in Lagos next week for the landmark 10th edition of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Africa Conference on International Arbitration and ADR.

The high-profile conference, organised by the International Chamber of Commerce, will hold from June 3 to June 5 at the Lagos Continental Hotel and is expected to attract delegates from across Africa, Europe and Asia.

Chair of the ICC Nigeria Arbitration and ADR Commission, Dorothy Ufeme Ufot, SAN, disclosed this during a press briefing in Lagos, describing Nigeria’s selection as host country as a major endorsement of its growing influence in international commercial dispute resolution.

According to her, several African countries competed to host the anniversary edition, but the ICC headquarters in Paris returned the conference to Nigeria because of its successful record in organising previous editions and its expanding role in global arbitration.

“This is the 10th ICC Africa Conference and many countries indicated interest in hosting it. Nigeria was chosen because of our successful history and the confidence ICC has in our capacity,” she said.

Ufot revealed that the President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Claudia Salomon, would lead a delegation from Paris to the conference.

She added that the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Attorney-General of Lagos State and several Attorneys-General from other countries had also confirmed attendance.

The conference, themed “A Decade of Excellence: Shaping the Future of International Arbitration and ADR in Africa,” will focus on emerging issues in dispute resolution, including infrastructure disputes, energy transition, digital economy conflicts, artificial intelligence, investment protection and geopolitical risks.

Ufot described international arbitration as the preferred mechanism for resolving complex commercial disputes, particularly in sectors such as oil and gas, construction, infrastructure and technology.

She lamented that although Africa is richly endowed with natural resources, disputes arising from investments and commercial activities on the continent are still largely resolved abroad, depriving African professionals and institutions of significant opportunities and revenue.

“If businesses are coming to Africa and generating wealth from our resources, Africans must also participate in resolving the disputes arising from those transactions,” she said.

According to her, African professionals were previously sidelined in international arbitration due to perceptions that they lacked the expertise to handle complex commercial disputes.

She noted, however, that African legal practitioners responded by investing heavily in training, attending international conferences and participating actively in global arbitration institutions.

Ufot said the effort was beginning to yield results, with Nigerian arbitrators increasingly receiving appointments from leading global arbitration institutions such as the London Court of International Arbitration and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.

She further disclosed that she was recently appointed as Presiding Arbitrator in an international arbitration involving Russian parties, describing the appointment as evidence of growing global confidence in Nigerian arbitrators.

“That shows that we are making progress,” she said.

Secretary-General of ICC Nigeria, Olubunmi Osuntuyi, said the conference would feature advanced training sessions led by experts from ICC headquarters.

According to her, participants would engage in discussions on fast-track arbitration, judicial support for arbitration, drafting balanced arbitration clauses and managing arbitration costs.

Co-chair of the conference, Jean Chiazor Anishere, said the increasing recognition of African arbitrators globally reflected the continent’s growing intellectual and professional capacity to handle complex commercial disputes.

She added that Nigeria’s hosting of the conference would further strengthen its position as a leading arbitration hub in Africa.

The conference will also feature a gala dinner to commemorate its 10th anniversary and celebrate milestones in arbitration practice across the continent. (THISDAY)

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