During a panel discussion at the NBA SBL Conference held in Lagos on the theme “Forging a Path to Effective Commercial Dispute Resolution in Africa: Exploring the Need for an African Arbitration Centre,” Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, strongly advocated for the establishment of an African Arbitration Centre. He opined that practitioners and arbitration enthusiasts should have a dedicated center within Africa to refer their disputes to, rather than seeking arbitration proceedings abroad.
Speaking virtually as a panelist, the Learned Silk highlighted the increasing number of arbitration cases being conducted outside of Africa, which demonstrates Africans’ readiness to resort to arbitration. To address this issue, he called upon the various stakeholders in the arbitration sector in Africa to collaborate and establish an African Arbitration Centre. The goal of such a center would be to prevent disputes from consistently being taken outside of Africa for resolution.
The learned Silk emphasized that the center should strive to develop competence, thereby encouraging many Africans to choose it as their preferred venue for dispute resolution. He stressed the importance of effectively implementing laws that promote resorting to arbitration and ensuring the enforcement of arbitratral awards. By establishing an African Arbitration Centre, he believes that the continent can create a conducive environment for resolving disputes locally, thereby reducing the need to seek resolution abroad.
