GLOBAL TRENDS ON ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND POTENTIAL FOR A RESILIENT SPORTS ECONOMY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The National Sports Policy 2022 is the road map for sports administration, with the ambitious plan of creating an economically viable and investment clime in Nigeria. However, the policy fails to provide for the framework on the administration of sports justice that focuses on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) model. The objective of the study is to examine emerging global trends on ADR and how it can effectively promote dispute resolution and facilitate a resilient sports economy in Nigeria. Adopting the doctrinal method of research, the study relies on primary and secondary data. Nigeria has a population of more than two hundred million people, with over 70% constituted by youths. This demography shows a rich sports profile capable of impacting positively on the Nigerian economy within the framework of an efficient dispute resolution mechanism. The absence of a robust ADR model in the national sports policy can undermine the ambitious plan for an economically viable sports enterprise in Nigeria. Global trends indicate that ADR remains the preferred mechanism for the administration of justice in the sports industry with prospects for promoting investment, addressing infrastructural deficit and changing the economic trajectory in Nigeria. What is required is a robust national policy on ADR in the administration of sports justice as precursor towards a viable sports economy in Nigeria.