The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has petitioned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), demanding full disclosure of legal fees paid to lawyers and law firms that represented Nigeria in the controversial arbitration involving Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID).
In a letter addressed to the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, HEDA invoked the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 to request details of the legal representatives engaged by the Nigerian government and the exact amounts paid to them during the protracted litigation.
The letter, signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, said the request was part of the organisation’s efforts to promote transparency, accountability and good governance in the management of public resources.
According to Suraju, Nigerians deserve to know the total amount spent from public funds on legal representation in the high-profile dispute with P&ID, which was heard at the Commercial Court of the High Court of England under Claim No: CL-2019-000752.
“The public has a right to know how much was expended from national resources on legal representation in the P&ID case,” Suraju said, stressing that transparency would enable citizens to understand the financial implications of international trade disputes involving the country.
HEDA noted that during the legal proceedings, the CBN facilitated payments to legal representatives on behalf of the Nigerian government.
The civil society organisation added that the information sought would also support an ongoing research initiative examining the financial costs of trade disputes between sovereign states and private enterprises, with the P&ID case serving as a key reference point.
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HEDA therefore urged the apex bank to provide the requested information within seven days, in compliance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
The dispute between Nigeria and P&ID has been widely regarded as one of the most significant international arbitration cases involving the country, drawing global attention to issues of contract enforcement, governance and the potential financial risks of international business agreements.
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