The Nigeria Shippers’ Council has restated its commitment and support to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, saying that it is developing the legal and administrative framework for it.
The council’s Executive Secretary; Barrister Hassan Bello made this known yesterday when members of Maritime Arbitrator Association of Nigeria (MAAN) paid a courtesy visit to council's headquarters in Lagos.
The Nigeria Shippers’ Council has restated its commitment and support to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, saying that it is developing the legal and administrative framework for it.
The council’s Executive Secretary; Barrister Hassan Bello made this known yesterday when members of Maritime Arbitrator Association of Nigeria (MAAN) paid a courtesy visit to council's headquarters in Lagos.
As requested by the MAAN, the executive secretary is also expected the play a significant role in the forthcoming seminar of the association that will hold come next week.
He assured that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council will play a significant role in the marine insurance claims which is the theme of the programme because, according to him, it is important to the maritime sector.
The executive secretary also pledged the council's support for the seminar because according to him, the theme is important to trade facilitation and international trade, in totality.
He said the council and the Maritime Arbitrator Association of Nigeria have had a cordial relationship, adding that judges before now were not familiar with principle of admiralty laws.
Speaking further he added that “it is therefore important that we consider and support it in the maritime sector because it is part of international trade"
"As a matter of fact, if we don't have a vibrant ADR sighted in the maritime sector, we may have a scare from foreign investors because this is one of the things foreign investors look at before doing business in Nigeria", he noted.
He said that plans are afoot to establish a dispute resolution centre in collaboration with the arbitrators’ association, pointing out that the council has already engaged itself in series of dispute settlement.
Bello added that the council is aware of the advantage of Alternative Dispute Resolution over litigation, even as he added that the laws and rules of arbitrators are highly technical.
He said that the function of the council have been more advisory than regulatory stressing that the council is to create and strike a balance for level playing field for all parties to participate.
Speaking earlier, President of MAAN, Dr. Omoigba Omo Eboh appealed to the executive secretary to open the seminar that will hold next week based on the continuation of its advocacy role.
He disclosed that the seminar will hold on the 21st and 22nd of May 2014, adding that it is focusing on “marine insurance claim", which he said is important to the maritime sector.
"We are appealing to you to find time and come and to also open the seminar for us as you have always done in the past”, he said.
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