The President of the Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC), Victor Oluwafemi, has hailed the victory obtained by the federal government in the landmark arbitration victory against European Dynamics UK Limited.
This was contained in a statement issued by Oluwafemi, an international development expert.
He averred that the outcome of the arbitration is not merely a legal win but a governance statement.
Oluwafemi said that by the victory, Nigeria has demonstrated maturity, institutional discipline, and contractual courage, at a time when international contractors assume that African institutions will capitulate under technical pressure.
“The dismissal of claims totalling over $6.2 million signals a structural shift in how the country manages public-sector technology contracts.
“This is a defining moment in Nigeria’s procurement evolution.
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“For years, procurement in many developing economies has been vulnerable to inflated milestone claims, loosely defined deliverables, and weak enforcement of performance validation mechanisms,” Oluwafemi asserted.
He added that the tribunal’s affirmation of the centrality of user acceptance testing reinforces a fundamental principle, that value must be delivered before value is paid for.
“That principle must now become doctrine. The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has sent a powerful message to the global contracting community that Nigeria will no longer accept distorted contractual interpretations, premature payment claims, or technical shortcuts disguised as compliance.
“Payment must follow performance. Performance must be verifiable. Verification must be independent and rigorous.
This is how institutions are built.
“The courage shown by Adedokun in resisting premature settlement discussions reflects leadership rooted in fiduciary responsibility rather than convenience.
“The strategic coordination between the bureau, the attorney general’s office, and Nigerian legal experts further demonstrates that domestic professional capacity can compete and prevail on the international stage.
“This victory should now catalyse a broader reform journey. Nigeria must seize this moment to institutionalise a new procurement architecture,” Oluwafemi added.
