Enforcement Of Arbitral Awards In Nigeria

Arbitration is a private dispute resolution method that usually results in an arbitral award. An award, once made, is binding on the parties to the arbitral proceedings. Thus, the Supreme Court held in Ras Pal Gazi Construction Co. Ltd v F.C.D. A¹ that "it is very clear and without any iota of doubt, that an arbitral award made by an Arbitrator to whom a voluntary submission was made by the parties to the arbitration, is binding between the parties."

However, Arbitrators lack the authority and institutional framework to enforce their awards. It is against this backdrop that statutory and international framework has been put in place for the enforcement of arbitral awards made in Nigeria and outside the jurisdiction of Nigeria. Therefore, this paper examines Nigeria's legal framework for enforcing domestic and international arbitral awards.