One book has influenced my thinking deeply. It is Steven Covey’s classic “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” In the opening pages of this book, Covey refers to Thomas Kuhn’s “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,” in which Kuhn shows that the most significant breakthroughs in the field of scientific endeavors have been preceded by a…
Expert Urges Mediators to Take Advantage of Online Mediation Post-COVID-19
(This post was originally published on nnn.com.ng.) A Mediation Advocacy expert, Mr. Adeyemi Akisanya, on Thursday urged mediators to take advantage of online mediation in resolving disputes. Akisanya, a Lagos-based lawyer and a certified mediation advocacy trainer, made the appeal during a two-hour Webinar training organised by the Standing Conference of Mediation Advocates (SCMA) in Lagos….
Q & A with Melanie Daigle, Co-Founder of Business Club Africa, on the Impacts of COVID-19 in Nigeria
In a few words, what is the current status of the Coronavirus? (lockdown, curfew, new regulations in place, etc) There has been an increasing number of persons testing positive for the virus and a small but steadily increasing number of deaths. The Federal Government imposed a lockdown on Lagos State, Ogun State and the Federal…
Mediation: An Ideal ADR Strategy and Policy (Part 3 of a 7-part series)
We have established that conflicts are inevitable. It is therefore expedient to have a plan, a strategy for resolving them in a way that minimizes disruptions, that saves costs, both of money and of time, especially in the latter case, executive time. It also preserves relationships and reputation, both personal and corporate. Such a plan…
OECR and Its Breakfast Business Meetings
Next week on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, the Organization of Expert Conflict Resolvers (“OECR”) will be holding its December 2019 bi-monthly (every other month) Business Breakfast meeting from 7:30am to 10:00am, at La Scala Restaurant, MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos. It will feature a round-table discussion on the theme: “Mediation Unboxed – Multiple Dimensions of Conflict…
Cross-Border Mediation Masterclass
I had such a great time facilitating the Cross-Border Mediation Masterclass organised by The Incorporated Trustees of Attorney-Mediators Association on Friday, August 30, 2019. Many dignitaries from the legal profession in attendance including; Mr. Valentino Buoro (Founder, ATMA), Mrs. Adeyinka Aroyewun (LMDC Director), Mr. Alfred Okunnu(Chairman, ATMA), Director, OYO MDCH, Miss Tosin Lewis (Executive Secretary,…
Mediator Roles and their Importance
The purpose of this post is to highlight some of the mediator’s roles to better comprehend what the mediator can do and how it might be useful. This is because there is a lack of understanding about the roles of the mediator, and this has led to little or no use of mediation in jurisdictions….
Dispute Resolution Strategy and Policy (Part 2 of a 7-part series)
As we have noted earlier, conflicts of parties’ respective interests and needs are inevitable during those transactions that fuel a successful business. They will invariably arise over the inception, interpretation, performance, expectations, or even termination, of the contracts underlying those transactions. If these conflicts are not properly recognized, addressed, and resolved some way or the…
An Introduction to Mediation (Part 1 of a 7-Part Series)
Relationships are the bedrock of human society. As humans, we cannot do without relationships. Relationships are of a wide variety and include: buyer-seller, employer-employee, husband-wife, parent-child, professional-client, service provider-service receiver, importer-exporter, borrower-lender, and friend-friend. These relationships can be simple or complex. Whatever the case, they are undergirded mainly by the parties’ respective interests and needs,…
