The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has disclosed that construction arbitration is needed to resolve disputes in the country infrastructure sector.
According to her, the arbitration panel would also
ensure the timely completion of the road projects.
Badejo-Okusanya stated this when she led a delegation of the NBA on a visit to the Minister of State for Works, Rt. Hon. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, in Abuja.
She said lawyers and other professionals are needed to develop specialised expertise in construction arbitration and alternative dispute resolution to address disputes that could delay infrastructure projects.
According to her, the NBA was ready to partner with the Federal Ministry of Works in areas including contract review, legal advisory services, capacity development, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.
“We are ready to offer our partnership and our expertise when called upon to do so, including reviewing contracts and developing knowledge in these areas,” she said.
The NBA president also proposed joint capacity-building initiatives focused on construction arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, noting that such efforts could help reduce prolonged disputes and support the timely completion of infrastructure projects.
She commended the Federal Ministry of Works for its ongoing road construction and rehabilitation efforts across the country, stressing that good road infrastructure remained critical to economic growth and national development.
Badejo-Okusanya also appealed to the ministry to address the poor condition of the road leading to the NBA Secretariat and drainage challenges affecting the area.
Responding, Goronyo welcomed the proposed partnership, saying the ministry’s activities were closely connected to the legal profession, particularly in the areas of contracts, agreements and dispute resolution.
“There is no contract that can be awarded without an agreement, and there cannot be an agreement without the possibility of disputes. We therefore need to leverage our relationship and ensure that we utilise what we have so that together we can build a prosperous nation,” he said.
The minister said the ministry was willing to collaborate with the NBA where legal expertise could support the successful delivery of infrastructure projects.
He noted that major projects being implemented under the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme, including the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Maiduguri corridor, required sound contractual and legal frameworks.
Goronyo further assured the NBA president that the ministry would examine the concerns raised over the road and drainage infrastructure around the association’s secretariat and consider appropriate technical assessment and recommendations.
He said stronger cooperation between the legal profession and the Ministry of Works would contribute to effective infrastructure delivery and national development.
