Lagos State Government yesterday disclosed that its Ministry of Justice had resolved 3,000 petitions through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), reducing potential liabilities of more than N1.2 billion to a settlement of N3 million.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this during the third yearly Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse (LMDC) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) stakeholders’ summit held at the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), said the achievement demonstrated the economic benefits of resolving disputes amicably rather than allowing them to proceed through prolonged litigation.

The governor said that the state accounted for more than a fifth of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and attracted a significant proportion of foreign capital entering the country, making an efficient justice system essential to sustaining its position as a commercial hub.

Sanwo-Olu said no business, particularly a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise, should collapse because a commercial dispute remained unresolved for years.

He, however, described settlements facilitated by the LMDC as a means of releasing capital back into trade, payroll and production instead of allowing funds to remain tied down in litigation.

According to him, the state government has placed ADR at the centre of its ease-of-doing-business agenda and the security and governance pillars of its THEMES Plus agenda.

The governor, who reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving judicial infrastructure, citing new court facilities in Amuwo-Odofin and Epe, urged legal practitioners to promote ADR as the first resort in appropriate commercial disputes and encouraged them to study the newly introduced ADR practice direction to ensure its effective implementation.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, said an efficient and credible dispute-resolution system was indispensable to strengthening investor confidence.

Fagbemi commended the Lagos State Judiciary, under the leadership of the Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, for advancing ADR and improving access to justice through the LMDC.

He said the Federal Government had decided to pursue reforms to align Nigeria’s ADR framework with international best practices, including a review of the Arbitration and Mediation Act 2023 and the development of a National Policy on Arbitration.

He said the review committee was expected to address implementation challenges, harmonise ADR practices across jurisdictions and strengthen the enforceability of dispute-resolution outcomes.

The minister, however, cited Singapore, the United Kingdom (UK) and Rwanda as jurisdictions from which Nigeria could draw lessons in using ADR to improve commercial certainty and attract investments.

In her keynote address, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said efficient dispute prevention and resolution mechanisms were critical to attracting long-term capital and improving Nigeria’s investment climate.

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, called for stronger enforcement of settlement agreements and arbitral awards, improved professional training and greater use of technology to strengthen investor confidence.