Press Releases

Fashola Advocates Global Minimum Safety Standards
…As IBA Regional Confab on Energy, Infrastructure opens in Lagos

Jun 24, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday called for the adoption of international minimum safety standards across the board which is expected to produce the desired results that would protect the economy, human beings and the environment in general.

Governor Fashola who spoke against the background of environmental issues that are playing out in the Gulf of Mexico at the International Bar Association (IBA) Section on Energy, Environmental, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL) Arbitration Regional Conference with the theme: "Resolving International Energy and Infrastructure Disputes" held at the Grand Ball room, Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island added that whatever standards operates in the West should operate in the smallest countries of the world in terms of safety and ecological protection.

Said he: "One of the things I hope is whether or not this is the time that if there are international regulations and common practices for determining the prices of energy resources like crude oil and gas, should we leave different countries to develop their own safety measures".

"Why can't there be an international safety minimum standard of operation?, if there are common pricing across the board so that it should not matter whether a country is weak, rich or poor or is strong technologically so long as it plays out in this field, its resources are extracted by this companies, whatever standards operates in the West will operate in the smallest countries of the world in terms of safety and ecological protection".

Governor Fashola said it is in appreciation of the importance of energy and infrastructure in the economy of Lagos State that every year the budget of the State is about renewing, improving and reducing the deficit of infrastructure that has become the order of the day in many African countries.

He averred that while the population has grown in leap and bounds, the infrastructure capacity has not responded quickly adding that energy particularly remains a very front burner issue with the present government in Lagos State.

Governor Fashola added that Lagos has focused and would continue to focus its energy towards realization of a sub region with cleaner and affordable source of energy coupled with infrastructure of international standards.

"We are not unmindful of the inevitable disputes that arise from such ventures. It is for this reason and the desire to make Lagos the Arbitration hub of the West Africa sub- region that we enacted the Lagos State Arbitration Law 2009 and in collaboration with our vibrant business and commercial sector, we also enacted a statute creating the Lagos Court of Arbitration", he added.

He explained that the State Government is keen on retaining the commercial transaction that comes through Arbitration and the tourism that come with it which is currently being lost to Paris and London.

Governor Fashola said traditionally, Arbitration is an entirely African issue because the common law jurisprudence on adversarial dispute resolution is alien to the African culture and has created more problems for Africans than it has solved.

He said the adversarial system has failed to promote harmony and mutuality of development among people who will continue to relate to one another while the African culture has overtime promoted arbitration and the conciliatory consequences of promoting human interaction and development.

He informed that at the local level, the State Government has championed an Arbitration proceeding like a local People's Court that is conducted in local language on the State Television and is helping in settling small disputes away from the formality and sober- like environment of a regular court.

In a keynote address titled; "Resolving International Energy and Infrastructure Disputes" by Mr. David W. Rivkin of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP New York, USA, said the energy industry globally faces a unique combination of challenges in terms of Arbitration which has also been occasioned by a high degree of governmental involvement.

He also suggested constant communication of intentions between partners in the Arbitration case and the Arbitrators on their availability for hearing as well as fixing a time frame within which such matters can be disposed adding that currently it lasts for an average of 14 months to conclude an Arbitration case.

Speaking earlier, the co-chairs of the conference, former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) and Mrs Dorothy Ufot (SAN) said the conference promises to offer great opportunity for lawyers in Nigeria to meet their counterparts from other parts of the world to exchange ideas on recent developments in the field of energy, natural resources, infrastructure development and Arbitration.

The event was witnessed by many lawyers from far and near including the Attorney General of Lagos State, Mr. Supo Sasore (SAN).