How to Become a Chartered Arbitrator in Nigeria 2023

Arbitration is the act of settling a dispute between two people or groups, after hearing the arguments and opinions of both sides.

A Chartered Arbitrator, therefore, is a person that is licensed in the act and profession of arbitration.

To know how to become a chartered arbitrator in Nigeria, you have to register in the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators for proper training.

The organization responsible for training, registering and monitoring Chartered Arbitrators in Nigeria is the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Nigerian Branch), also known as CIArb.

CIArb was founded in the United Kingdom in 1915 and incorporated in 1924 before it was finally granted the Royal Charter in 1979.

There are currently 41 branches of this Institute in several countries around the one and the Nigerian branch became one of them in 1999, after fulfilling the requirements of becoming registered as a branch.

23 years later, the Nigerian branch currently has several 1,273 members and counting. These members cut across all disciplines, Law, construction shipping, Engineering etc.

A person of any profession can become a Chartered Arbitrator, you don’t have to be a lawyer or have any interest in the legal profession.

CIArb is a professional body for the training of those who seek to become qualified Arbitrators, mediators and ADR practitioners.

They are also responsible for maintaining a register of qualified arbitrators and monitoring the professional conduct of their members.

The membership can be obtained by taking the required courses offered by the institute or by experience, having the knowledge required to become a member.

The different cadres of membership are;

• ACIArb
• MCIArb
• FCIArb

Requirements to Become an Arbitrator in Nigeria

According to the official website, the following are the requirements of becoming one of these members:

ACIArb

Associate Member Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The following are the requirements for becoming an associate member:

• Successful completion of one of CIArb’s introductory courses OR
• Completion of an equivalent course from a recognised course provider OR
• Six months experience in dispute avoidance or dispute management. Reference required.

MCIArb

Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The following are the requirements for becoming a Member:

• Successful completion of one of CIArb’s Module 1 Training and Assessment on one of CIArb’s Pathways.
• Successful Completion of CIArb’s Accelerated Route to Membership (ARM) Programme.
• Successful completion of an equivalent course from a recognised course provider.
• Five years experience in arbitration, construction adjudication or mediation in a lead/sole capacity; including settlement agreements, the management of proceedings, and attending hearings that have resulted in the publication of a reasoned award or decision.

FCIArb

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

To become a member, you have to have or obtain one of the following:

• Successful completion of one of CIArb’s Module 3 Training and Assessment on one of CIArb’s Pathways and a Peer interview or
• Successful completion of CIArb’s Accelerated Route to Fellowship (ARF) Programme and a Peer Interview or
• Successful completion of an equivalent course from a recognized course provider and a Peer Interview or
• Successful completion of CIArb’s Diploma, Part 3 and a Peer Interview.
• 10-years’ experience in arbitration, construction adjudication, or mediation in a lead/sole capacity; including settlement agreements, the management of proceedings, and attending hearings that have resulted in the publication of a reasoned award or decision.
• Knowledge of the law of obligations and evidence at first-degree level or recognised equivalent, or an understanding of law relevant to your mediation practice or recognised equivalent.
• Experience of writing directions and final, reasoned awards or decisions/experience writing mediation agreements, heads of agreements, or memorandums of understanding.

Arbitration Courses in Nigeria

From the above, it is evident that the institute offers some courses for those willing to become members and in different branches of Arbitration, some of these include:

●    Introduction to Domestic Arbitration. The price for the course is ₦80,000

●    Introduction to International Arbitration. Price for the course – ₦80,000

●    Accelerated Route to Membership – Domestic Arbitration. Price for the course – ₦175,000

●    Accelerated Route to Membership – International Arbitration. Price for the course- ₦175,000

●    Accelerated Route to Fellowship – Domestic Arbitration. Price for the course- ₦400,000

●    Accelerated Route to Fellowship – International Arbitration. Price for courses- ₦400,000

Course Module

●    Module 1: Law, Practice and Procedure in Domestic Arbitration. Price for the course- ₦200,000

●    Module 1: Law, Practice and Procedure in International Arbitration. Price for the course – ₦200,000  

●    Module 2: Law of Obligations (Civil Law and Common Law of Contract and Tort. Price for the course- ₦300,000      

●    Module 3: Evidence, Decision Making and Award Writing of Domestic Arbitration. Price for the course – ₦400,000

Non-Membership Courses

However, CIArb also offers some non-membership courses on dispute resolution.

You can take these courses just to broaden your knowledge and skills in dealing with disputes. These include:

●    Arbitration Advocacy for Lawyers. Price for the course – ₦30,000

●    Arbitral Secretaries Training. Price for the course – ₦50,000

●    MasterClass ODR Course in Domestic & International Arbitration. Price for the course – ₦25,000 for Members and ₦35,000 for non-members.

●    Advanced MasterClass ODR Course in Domestic & International Arbitration. Price for the course- ₦75,000 for members and ₦85,000 for non-members.

●    Advanced MasterClass ODR Course in Mediation. Price for the course – ₦75,000 for members and N85,000 for non-members.

How to Become a Chartered Arbitrator in Nigeria

Develop Skills

As an arbitrator, you will acquire valuable skills that can be applied in other professional, arbitration or mediation settings. As mentioned earlier, is it not limited to only the legal profession.

Give Back

If you’re looking for an opportunity to serve the public or give back to your community, serving as an arbitrator enables you to help others by applying your professional knowledge gathered from the courses and learning experiences. Arbitration can be applied in your daily life.

Build Your Network

Serving with other arbitrators on a panel allows you to meet and network with other professionals, including individuals who work inside and outside your industry or line of profession.

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