Our Partner Funke Onakoya participated in the applied Arbitration for Fellows organized by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Lagos Nigeria. It was an insightful experience and a great way to close out the year.
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK (Nigeria Branch) organized a training tagged Applied Arbitration for Fellows, in Lagos Nigeria on 22nd and 23rd November 2025.
The training which is its first in Nigeria (after Dubai, Singapore and United Kindgom edition), brought in 6 (six) Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators into the room for an intensive and practical learning of arbitral proceedings from the beginning of the initiation of an arbitral dispute to the end of evidentiary hearing.
The training, which was fully practical, had role plays assigned to the Fellows with different possible issues, scenarios and challenges that come up during arbitral proceedings. The Fellows were coordinated and supervised by seasoned chartered arbitrators. Various tasks and assignments were assigned to them individually and in groups to deepen the knowledge and understanding of practising as a sole arbitrator or a tribunal of three.
The training commenced with the seasoned chartered arbitrators leading the proceeding with a role play on preliminary meeting between a tribunal of three and the parties. Thereafter, there were different practical exercises of role plays on deliberations and directions of Tribunal, challenge to the jurisdiction of a tribunal, procedural meeting on factual/expert witness timetabling, role play on disclosures/hearing bundles/postponement of hearings, etc.
At the end of the training, each participant received feedback on their participation while few of the learning outcomes at the end were:
- Having the consciousness of what it takes to practice as an arbitrator and how to handle proceedings from start to finish.
- Planning and managing arbitration proceedings effectively.
- mastering the act of being in charge of the process and the stakeholders (parties/ counsel).
- identifying and addressing common procedural problems
