Lagos Court of Arbitration pledges committment to its mandate

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA), Megha Joshi has pledged the committment of the Court to fulfill its statutory mandate.

She said the Court would continue to provide an interactive platform for its members to be part of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism dialogue in Nigeria.

She also announced plans for the development of the “industry based user groups” and requested members to participate in the committees to participate with developing schemes and focused ADR knowledge workshops for businesses and lawyers. Joshi spoke at the LCA second annual “LCA Day” at the newly built International Centre for Arbitration and ADR (ICAA) located at Lekki Peninsular, in Lagos.

The event which marked the first LCA since the ICAA was formally handed over to the LCA by Lagos State Government was attended by the LCA board of directors, members, and was sponsored by the Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF).

Part of the programme at the event include the LCA Annual General Meeting (AGM); guest lectures on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) from in-house counsel perspectives by Mr Sadiq Adamu and Ms Ozim Ifeoma Obasi.

In his address, the President of the LCA, Mr Olasupo Shasore, SAN who also chaired the AGM described the ICAA as “home for arbitration” as other arbitral organisations including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Nigerian Branch, Chartered Arbitrators Nigeria, Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria and Lagos Chamber of Commerce International Arbitration Centre (LACIAC) would be located within the building.

“The LCA is an ADR facilitating entity focused to create value for the entire commercial private sector, he said”. The new directors appointed to the LCA Board of Directors and ratified by the general meeting are Mrs May Mbu, Mr Sadiq Adamu Mr. Babatunde Fagbohunlu SAN, Mr. Ucheora Onwuamaegbu and retired Justice Mrs. Ayo Phillips, Mr. Adeyemi Charles Candide-Johnson SAN.

Others include, Mr. Babajide Ogundipe, Dr. Fabian Ajogwu SAN, Mrs Funke Adekoya SAN, Mrs Doyin Rhodes-Vivour, Mrs Funmi Roberts, Mrs Bimpe Elebute Nkontchou and Mr Abiodun Oluwa.

The event made a lots of inputs and reactions from the general meeting, which centered on the needful steps to be taken in guiding the LCA along the right path in pursuit and fulfilment of its vision of becoming the preferred natural and neutral arbitral and ADR institution in Africa.