About a thousand qualified individuals have been inducted into the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICArb), as newly certified members of the Institute.
This development was made public through a statement issued by the Institute’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shola Oshodi- John, who said the induction took place at her 2022 Annual Investiture Ceremony, themed: ‘The Future of Arbitration/ADR in Africa: Development and Sustainability’, held in Lagos.
According to the statement, Oshodi- John, quoted the President and Chairman, Governing Council of the Institute, Professor Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), as congratulating the inductees, while welcoming them into the league of professional Arbitrators.
The SAN charged the inductees to be good ambassadors of the Institute and the administration’s profession, by adhering to the code of ethics in their places of work and placing public or employers’ interest above self-interest.
Keynote Speaker and Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Amina Augie, during the induction ceremony, argued that the induction marked a day to celebrate a new era for the Institute, as more ambassadors are inducted. She admonished the inductees to “always ensure that Arbitration/ADR is promoted, as it is a sector that will do us better as the world evolves.”
Referencing the stellar speakers at the Hybrid Annual Conference, who had discussed and shared their knowledge on topical areas such as Smart Contract and Emerging Technologies; Cryptocurrency and Fintech-Related Issues; Arbitration, Justice, and the Rule of Law, Justice Augie urged the inductees to be good ambassadors wherever they found themselves.
In her vote of thanks, Oshodi-John, who appreciated the Keynote Speaker, and special guests, congratulated the newly inducted members for pulling through the training, examination, assessment, and other qualifying processes.
She reiterated the words of the President and stated that this year’s conference has been able to focus on and proffered solutions to areas that have been of great challenge around the growth of Arbitration practice in Nigeria and Africa.
In attendance at the conference are Supreme Court Justices, Justices of the Court of Appeal, and other judges of superior courts of records, including legal scholars, jurists, professionals from other sectors, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, and his counterpart, the Minister of Justice and Legislation, the Keeper of the Seals of the Republic of Benin, Severin Maxime Quenum, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and business moguls