Onwuchekwa Calls For Transparency In Arbitration Process

The Director Legal and Company Secretary of Seplat Energy Plc, Mrs Edith Onwuchekwa, has called for transparency and the adoption of modern technology to enhance the efficiency and reliability of the arbitration system, thus promoting an efficient and accessible central database on the arbitration system.

Onwuchekwa, who made this call at the just concluded Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference in Lagos, also advocated for establishing a robust mechanism for providing, receiving and implementing feedback and complaints to address parties’ concerns promptly and effectively.

She added that to enhance the trust and credibility of the Nigerian arbitration system and make the country a safe arbitration seat, efficiency, accountability, transparency, competency, and ethics must be driven in the system.

The lawyer, who spoke during a panel session on the theme ‘Making a Safe Arbitration Seat: Cultivating Trust, Efficiency, and Reliability in Dispute Resolution,’ stated that the arbitration system should implement clear and consistent procedural rules that parties can easily understand, follow, and be held accountable to.

Onwuchekwa further called for the regular publication of data and reports on arbitration outcomes, adding that public documents would give better visibility of how arbitration proceedings are conducted and awards are delivered, thus creating a system of precedence that provides greater assurance to practitioners and users of the system.

The Legal Director noted that ‘it encourages engagement and builds trust in a continuously improving system, stressing that arbitration is germane across sectors/facets of the country, including the energy space where Seplat Energy operates.

“There is a need for practitioners in the arbitration space to have the orientation as the primary goal of arbitration is for disputes to be resolved swiftly and efficiently. It is critical to enforce continuous professional development for arbitrators and practitioners to ensure they maintain high standards of competency and ethics, particularly in alignment with global best practices.

“As part of professional development, it is essential to encourage mentorship programmes to ensure that less experienced practitioners are guided under the tutelage of seasoned arbitrators. Strict ethical guidelines and conflict of interest rules for arbitrators and practitioners should be enforced, and appropriate levels of consequence management should be applied to deter unethical practices.’’