Overview of the Laws and Practice of Arbitration in Nigeria: From Preliminaries to Award

The concept of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and its relevance in administration and access to justice is widely accepted globally. It is a concept that has come to stay in determining the rights and liabilities of parties in a dispute through a win-win approach. This paper studied the concept of arbitration from the introductory part to its finality, which is the award. The preliminaries of arbitration include the definition of arbitration, basic principles of arbitration and laws governing arbitration process in Nigeria. It studied further the different mode of appointment of arbitrators, the nexus between arbitration and the court. It recommended that arbitral process does not deprive lawyers or legal practitioners of revenue as erroneously inferred. It recommended also that practitioners are to build the capacity of study and research in this area and equip itself of the basics and skills of arbitration practice.