In order to promote and sustain effective and efficient business relationships between Federal Government agencies, port users, cargo, and ship owners in the nation’s maritime sector, the Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria (MAAN) has emphasized the significance of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
Bodunrin Adewole, the president of MAAN, underlined that port users should use ADR to resolve disputes in trade contracts between themselves, the general public, and the Federal Government rather than turning to litigation when doing so. He made this statement in Lagos over the weekend.
By establishing an international maritime arbitration and dispute resolution center in Lagos, Adewole reaffirmed MAAN’s commitment to the promotion and sustainability of global best practices in maritime arbitration and ADR.
In addition, he urged parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Transportation, particularly the Nigerian Shippers Council, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), to include ADR in their contracts because it is a much more affordable and efficient method of resolving disputes.
The MAAN President highlighted that the creation of the International Arbitration Centre would boost Nigeria’s appeal as a location for the arbitration and ADR of maritime issues in West Africa.
He stated that it is anticipated that the Federal Ministry of Transportation would gain from the establishment of the International Arbitration Centre with regard to all of its current contracts, particularly with regard to disputes resulting from contract execution.
When discussing the institutional framework for the maritime arbitration and dispute resolution center, NIMASA’s Registrar of Ships, Mrs. Nneka Obianyor, recalled that one of the reasons Nigeria wasn’t thought to be a viable location for international commercial arbitration in the past was the lack of formal arbitral institutions.
She noted, however, that this is no longer the case given the presence of numerous respected organizations in the maritime industry, such as MAAN, which has a well-structured practice direction for ADR.
The association’s vice president, Mrs. Jean Chiazor Anishere, stated that since the MAAN was established in 2005, it has been a driving force in promoting the resolution of maritime conflicts through arbitration, mediation, and all other ADR processes.
She added that the organisation plans to launch more programs and projects in the upcoming years.
