PH Mundial – Port Harcourt Online Newspaper News across the Niger Delta
Related Articles
By: Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
A human-rights activist, Chief Nengi James-Eriworio has described Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as the surest pathway to peaceful coexistence, progress and prosperity in the Niger Delta region.
James-Eriworio made the advocacy in his recent article entitled “Alternative Dispute Resolution In A Changing World: A Pathway to Peace, Progress and Prosperity”.
The activist who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, Bayelsa state branch, and Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), opined that the world needed application of ADR due to its constant changing at an unprecedented pace.
“Borders blur in business; technology reshapes how we connect and disagree; resources grow scarcer; and communities seek their rightful place in a new era.
“In the Niger Delta and across Nigeria, these shifts bring both opportunity and friction. Where change is constant, conflict is inevitable, but conflict need not mean crisis. For me, this is not merely professional conviction; it is a lifelong calling.
“Rooted in the cultural heritage of the Nembe and Ijaw people where dialogue, mediation, and restorative justice have long held communities together and shaped by decades of service as a peace advocate, community leader, and arbitrator, I have seen firsthand that justice thrives not in confrontation alone, but in conversation,” he posited.
The Nembe born social advocate, in the article, pointed out that ADR was no longer an alternative but an essential foundation for building a just, inclusive, and peaceful society in a changing world.
He said ADR, encompassing negotiation, mediation, conciliation, and arbitration, was not just an “outside the courts” dispute settlement measure but the original path to justice.
“I walk in the footsteps of my late father, Chief Eriworio Full James Gam-Dede, a custodian of oral history and custom, who taught that wisdom lies in bringing people together, not in setting them apart.
“Today, as the Chairman of the Nigeria Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, Bayelsa State Chapter and through my work with the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP), and the National Think Tank Group, I see these ancient values finding fresh, formal expression.
“ADR bridges the best of our heritage with the demands of the modern age,” he stated”
He theorized that negotiation was the honest exchange of interests, describing mediation as guided dialogue toward mutual respect while conciliation was to heal rifts while finding solutions,
explaining that arbitration was the fair and binding decisions by trusted experts in conflict resolution.
While reiterating that the ADR had become indispensable in today’s society, James-Eriworio described it as the speed that sustained communities.
“Litigation can stretch into years even decades. In the Niger Delta, where resource disputes, land claims, and development agreements demand urgent attention, delay is not just inconvenience, it is injustice.
“Through the Nengi James Foundation and our advocacy work, we have seen how ADR delivers timely resolutions, preserving trust and keeping development moving.
“A judge may decide who “wins,” but ADR determines whether neighbours, partners, and communities can continue to live and work together.
“As a Patron and Mentor to groups across Bayelsa State and beyond, and as UN-POLAC Ambassador of Peace, I champion processes that heal rather than deepen division. True peace is not silence, it is sustainable reconciliation.
“ADR adapts, drawing on specialised expertise, respecting cultural context, and benefiting from international enforceability through conventions like the New York Convention. Whether in resource management, corporate relations, or community rights, ADR meets complexity with creativity.
“As a graduate of Public Administration from the University of Port Harcourt, media commentator, and advocate for true federalism, I believe our systems must reflect who we are.
“ADR honours indigenous wisdom alongside modern law, ensuring solutions are not just legally correct, but socially accepted and enduring,” said.
Going forward, he stated “The changing world demands we evolve too. Online Dispute Resolution now brings justice closer to remote and underserved communities. ADR is expanding into critical frontiers I have long championed.”
He noted that he had been balancing development with ecological stewardship, through his work with the Nigeria Environmental Society (NES)
and ensuring inclusive dialogue between investors, governments, and local people
The peace advocate also said he believed in uman capacity building, empowering the next generation of peacebuilders through the Talent Search and Advancement Initiative.
He said as former chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisations in Bayelsa State, he promoted public accountability and civil liberties and fostered constructive state-citizen engagement.
Lamenting that many still view ADR as “lesser justice,” he called on fellow advocates to educate and demonstrate its power, craving that standards and training must be raised across all practice areas.
“Mediated settlements need stronger, more consistent enforcement. Women, youths, rural communities must be genuinely heard, not just present .These are not merely technical issues, they are moral imperatives. ADR must serve all, not just the few.
“I am a custodian of Ijaw – Niger Delta culture, a recipient of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), a widower, and a father. My life’s work in writing, in arbitration, in peace advocacy converges on one truth:
“In a changing world, the strongest societies are not those with the most laws, but those with the most dialogue.
“ADR is more than a method of resolving disputes. It is a philosophy of dignity, inclusion, and enduring peace. It turns conflict from a threat into an opportunity to understand, to respect, and to build together.
“Let us champion it. Let us practise it. And let us teach it so that our children inherit not just a world free of conflict, but a world bound by justice.
“The best resolution is not one where one side wins but one where both sides stand stronger,” he concluded.
