Key Provisions Of The Arbitration And Mediation Bill 2022

On 10th May 2022, the Senate passed the Arbitration and Mediation Bill. This bill shall repeal the Arbitration and Conciliation Act LFN 2004. Some of the key provisions of the Arbitration and Mediation Bill are as follows:

1. By section 2(4) the requirement that an arbitration agreement must be in writing can now be satisfied by an electronic communication that is accessible to be usable for subsequent reference. This bill acknowledges electronic communication and conduct of electronic proceedings in Nigeria.
2. By section 4(1) of the bill, the authority of an Arbitrator to act in an arbitration proceeding shall not be revoked by the death or bankruptcy of any party who appoints the arbitrator. The authority of an Arbitrator to act is only revoked on the death of the arbitrator. This provision encourages continuity of proceedings.