Nigeria: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

The word ‘absentia’ is a Latin term meaning ‘absence’. Trial in absentia occurs when a defendant is tried in his/her absence. This practice developed from the need to ensure justice and remedy the plague of absconding defendants, a trend that frustrated the judicial process.

The Fast-Moving Consumer Goods sector depends on complex cross-border supply chains where disputes can compound rapidly due to perishability, fast inventory turnover, and thin margins. When foreign suppliers enter African markets, contractual ambiguities around governing law, payment terms, and dispute resolution mechanisms often leave businesses exposed to protracted legal battles that far exceed what proper drafting would have cost.

Garnishee proceedings offer an efficient mechanism for enforcing monetary judgments by attaching funds held by third parties, typically banks. However, when external parties assert legal or equitable interests in the attached funds, the process encounters significant procedural and substantive challenges that test the boundaries between swift enforcement and the protection of competing proprietary rights.

Garnishee proceedings offer an efficient mechanism for enforcing monetary judgments by attaching funds held by third parties, typically banks. However, when external parties assert legal or equitable interests in the attached funds, the process encounters significant procedural and substantive challenges that test the boundaries between swift enforcement and the protection of competing proprietary rights.

Medical negligence in Nigeria presents significant challenges for victims seeking justice, from proving breach of duty to navigating systemic barriers in obtaining medical records.

The Court of Appeal's decision in Rothmans of Pall Mall v. Kasmal International Services Ltd. addresses a fundamental question of procedural fairness: what happens when a trial court enters judgment without properly notifying the defendant of hearing dates?

This paper examines emerging arbitration and dispute trends in the gas sector, the enforcement challenges faced when striving to enforce arbitral awards against state entities and national oil companies, and lessons from landmark international cases.

International Arbitration Comparative Guide for the jurisdiction of Nigeria, check out our comparative guides section to compare across multiple countries

The principle of sovereign immunity has its roots in the common law adage that the king can do no wrong.

Modern legal practice has long evolved beyond witnesses testifying fully in court for their evidence-in-chief.2 To save valuable judicial time by expediting proceedings, and to enhance the due administration of justice, witnesses in civil proceedings now adopt their pre-prepared written statements at trial.

Medical negligence in Nigeria presents significant challenges for victims seeking justice, from proving breach of duty to navigating systemic barriers in obtaining medical records.

In many Nigerian marriages, it is common for a house, piece of land, or other valuable property acquired during the marriage to be registered in the name of only one spouse. In most cases, this may simply be a matter of convenience, tradition, or circumstance.