Corporate organizations are engine of growth and development. They contribute to economic and social development of individuals, society and the nation in general as they produce goods and render services that improve the social and economic life of the people. In carrying out their businesses, they provide investment opportunities to the public and other social responsibility projects as well as contribute to national gross domestic product. Based on the above factors the survival of corporate organizations is of interest to both government and individuals hence the need for promoting good corporate governance. Corporate collapses have however, occurred around the world including Nigeria with devastating social and economic effects of loss of income, employment and revenue due to corporate governance lapses. The Nigerian Companies and Allied Matters Act like companies statutes in other countries of the world was found to be insufficient in stemming the increasing rate of corporate collapses around the world including Nigeria due to corporate governance abuses. The introduction of codes of corporate governance in Nigeria and around the world was meant to complement companies’ statutes in order to improve corporate governance. The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission Code of Corporate Governance was meant to apply essentially to all public companies that are listed on the stock exchanges in Nigeria. The Code has made far reaching provisions in respect of composition, duties and disclosure requirements of directors with the objective of ensuring that directors perform their duties and responsibilities in such a way that corporations are protected from abuses that resulted to their failures. The issue for consideration was whether the Companies and Allied Matters Act and the Securities and Exchange Commission Code of Corporate Governance in Nigeria have provided sufficient legal regime that would protect companies from directors’ abuses in performing their duties and responsibilities. Consequently, the objective of the research was to find out whether the Companies and Allied Matters Act together with the Securities and Exchange Commission Code of Corporate Governance in Nigeria have sufficiently addressed issues of corporate governance relating to composition, duties of directors and disclosure requirements. The research adopted a doctrinal research methodology which relied principally on existing statutes, subsidiary legislation and literature on corporate governance and made analyses which resulted to formation of opinions and findings. The study reveals that the category of persons prohibited from being directors on the basis of past fraudulent conduct is narrow which will continue to provide a leeway for some fraudulent persons to become company directors; It was also found that the SEC Code has failed to provide sanctions for failure to comply with the Code therefore making the Code to lack enforcement power thus making compliance to be voluntary and haphazard which will not achieve the desired best practices in the Nigerian business environment. It was further shown that the narrow scope and ambiguous definition of the concept of ‘connected persons’ to directors cannot achieve the objective of preventing conflict of interest transactions under the current corporate governance regime. The research therefore recommended among other things, the amendment of the Companies and Allied Matters Act to make the definition of fraudulent persons to be elastic enough to cover other areas beyond company affair. Fraudulent conduct should be made elastic enough to cover other areas like civil and public service; the SEC Code should be made mandatory for compliance by public companies and clear sanctions should be prescribed for failure to comply in order to enhance faster application and entrenchment of good corporate governance in Nigeria. It was further recommended that a clear definition of ‘connected persons’ to directors with an extended scope be made to cover other persons such as father, mother, brothers and sisters, father in-law and mother in-law who are more likely to promote the interest of directors in material transaction with the company.
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Project Abstract
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Nigeria is in a continuous quest to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in order to support and sustain a decent economic growth. These foreign investors being invited are as much interested in the methods available for dispute resolution as they are in every available guarantee on their investments. This dissertation appraises the recognition and enforcement of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Arbitral Awards in Nigeria. The dissertation has the ultimate aim of proposing ways through which Nigeria can re-affirm its commitment to ICSID, as well as foreign investors. The research adopts doctrinal methodology depending on both local and foreign literature on ICSID jurisprudence. The importance of recognition and enforcement comes from the fact that arbitration is considered to be of no value if its award is not enforceable. Bearing this in mind, the work argues that the more recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards are observed with minimal procedural delay, the more the confidence of parties‘ increases. The dissertation examines the Centre from inception, to Nigeria‘s accession to the ICSID Convention, and the extent of commitment demonstrated so far. The research observed that arbitration under the ICSID is bedevilled by certain controversies resulting from conflicts of interest between the developed and the developing states as evidenced by the denunciation of the ICSID Convention by Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela. The analysis revealed the little consequences this has on the commitments of other states to the Convention. Disregarding these issues may be ultimately fatal to the future of the Centre and the commitment of other members, particularly from developing countries. Therefore, the need to embark on specific structural, procedural and functional reforms to give the developing nations more roles to play in running the centre is in emphasis. The dissertation revealed that the review mechanism of the Centre is inadequate, as annulment does not amount to appeal, thereby making it impossible to correct functional errors made by the tribunals. Leading to discontent and leaving the aggrieved parties with limited options; in the end lead to denunciation. Hence, there is the need to develop a system of appeal in order for parties to have recourse to a review mechanism in the light of the inconsistent decisions rendered by ICSID Tribunal. As the work further examines, arbitration under the ICSID is very expensive and complex. Parties are burdened with tribunal costs, professional and counsel fees, transportation, and so many other unforeseen costs. This is why the ICSID Schedule of Fees has to be reviewed to make tribunal charges proportionate to the amount involved in the claim. ICSID tribunals can also take advantage of the virtual world in filing of cases and exchange of pleadings. The work also bares a fundamental problem, that is, the inability of Nigeria to make rules of enforcement as prescribed by section 2 of ICSID (Enforcement of Awards) in order to give effect to the provisions of the Act. Nigeria must re-affirm its commitment to ICSID and the international investor-community, Nigeria must therefore, endeavour to make rules for the enforcement of ICSID award pursuant to section 2 of ICSID (Enforcement of Awards) Act
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Project Overview