Nigeria needs right people at International Law table — Olawuyi

President, International Law Association, Nigeria, Professor Damilola Olawuyi has stated that Nigeria needs people with the right international law skill set at the negotiation table.

Olawuyi, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said it will be difficult to attract trade and investment and financial tools needed to solve some of our domestic problems if the right people are not involved.

Professor Damilola stated this at the Certificate for Advanced Studies in International Law and Diplomacy, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in partnership with International Law Association recently in Lagos.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University cited the instance of china-Nigeria agreement, saying that it shows those that understand the intricacies of international law should be the ones negotiating this kind of agreement so as to avoid such embarrassing situations.

While noting that Nigeria is at a critical stage, Olawuyi said the country needs financial inflow to address some of the fiscal challenges facing it.

He added that the economic hardship people have lamented about requires people with the knowledge and skills to negotiate the best deals for Nigeria.

According to him, The whole aim of the programme is to equip the next generation with international law knowledge and skills set required to become leaders in International law at the global stage.

“So, if you don’t have the right people at the negotiation table, it will be difficult to attract the trade and investment and financial tools needed to solve some of our domestic problems.

“Regarding the Chinese agreement with Nigeria, it has shown that those that understand the intricacies of international law should be the ones negotiating this kind of agreement so that we can avoid such embarrassing situations.

“As you are aware, Nigeria is at a critical stage.

“We need financial inflow to address some of the fiscal challenges facing the country.

“The economic hardship people have lamented about requires people with the knowledge and skills to negotiate the best deals for Nigeria.

“In International Law, you don’t get what you deserve but what you negotiate,” he said.

Speaking also, an International Lawyer, Olufemi Elias described the news that Nigeria got only three votes at the Security Council as mischief, stating that it is even a matter of serious pride rather than shame since the country did not put forward a candidate.

Elias described international law as an important area because it is evident in aspects like climate change, public wars and so many others.

He said that the certificate programme is to empower the participants on what is legal and what is not.

“What was said was that Nigeria got only three votes at the Security Council whereas other countries got 170.

“For me, it is a matter of serious pride rather than a matter of shame that we did not compete nor put forward a candidate and we still got three votes.

“This is because we were not a candidate to the election. I think that was just mischief making on the part of that report.

“International Law is a very important part of what we do today and we see very many aspects of them such as climate change, public wars.” He said.

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