Litigation Insight Quarterly [August Edition] Comparative Analysis Of The Case Of Statoil Nigeria Limited V. Inducon Nigeria Limited & Anor [2021] 7 Nwlr Pt.1774 At 1 Vis-À-Vis The Jurisdiction Of The Federal High Court Under Section 251(1) Of The 1999 Co

The jurisdictional scope of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (“FHC”) as provided for under section 251(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) has remained a topical issue of discuss among stake holders in the Nigerian legal system. In particular, the dichotomy between what constitutes a simple contract and contracts with technical affiliations rooted in the subjects that fall exclusively within the jurisdictional competence of the FHC have generated ongoing debates. Recently, the Supreme Court in Statoil Nigeria Limited v. Inducon Nigeria Limited & Anor [2021] 7 NWLR PT.1774 at 1 made a pronouncement on this all important issue.

In this first edition of our Litigation Insight Quarterly series, our seasoned dispute resolution team provides a critical analysis of the attitude of the courts on this subject.