Nigerian is African Arbitrator of the Year

By Adebisi Onanuga

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and chartered arbitrator, Mrs. Dorothy Udeme Ufot, has won the African Arbitrator (AFAA) of the Year Award.

Mrs Ufot defeated her counterparts Prof. Mohammed Abdel Wahab from Egypt and Dr. Jamsheed Peeroo from Mauritius.

The virtual event was hosted on the sidelines of the yearly East African International Arbitration Conference, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Africa Arbitration Awards winners were announced and celebrated in a virtual ceremony that was broadcast live on Zoom, YouTube and on the conference portal.

Ufot, FCIArb (UK), is the founding partner of Dorothy Ufot & Co, a law firm, where since 1994, she has led its international arbitration and litigation departments.

In 2009, Mrs Ufot was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in recognition of her vast work in commercial litigation.

She is a former member of the Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Paris (2006 – 2018), and member the Court of Arbitration of the Casablanca International Mediation and Arbitration Centre Morocco.

The Africa Arbitration Awards aims to celebrate, recognise and honour outstanding practitioners and leaders in the Africa arbitration ecosystem.

The nominations judges included Ms. Dipna Gunnoo, head of the MCCI Arbitration & Mediation Centre (MARC) at the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI);  Prof. Ike Ehiribe, a fellow of CIArb, London, chartered arbitrator, accredited mediator and a professor of law at the Centre for International Legal Studies (CILS) in Salzburg, Christchurch Canterbury University, SOAS and Queen Mary in the University of London; Deputy Director, Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), Dr. Dalia Hussein; an adjunct professor of Law, American University, Cairo, and lecturer, Faculty of Law, Zakazig University, Egypt.

According to the awards organisers, the African Arbitrators Association (AAA), the awards is an opportunity to shine a light on exemplary leadership and success in African arbitration.

“African Arbitration Awards forms part of our vision of building international arbitration capacity, expanding Africa’s networks as we promote, profile and celebrate Africa’s success in international arbitration,” they said.

The awards comprises five categories where in each category, individual nominees must be of African nationality, and nominee organisations must have incorporated offices located in Africa.

The categories are African Arbitrator of the year (over 40 years), Young Arbitration practitioner of the Year (under 40 years), Leading Case Counsel Team, Leading Arbitration Service Provider, and Innovation in Arbitration.

This year’s awards received thousands of nominations from across the arbitration community. A shortlist of three nominees per category was determined by competent and independent judges who themselves are arbitrators and heads of Africa’s leading international arbitration centres.

Mrs. Ufot said the award came from a journey of years of involvement in complex investment and commercial disputes, with the international arbitration community watching.