Professor Tayo Bello has called on the Federal Government and legal institutions to establish a comprehensive framework for Online Dispute Resolution, ODR, warning that the growing use of technology in settling disputes requires stronger regulations, cybersecurity measures and human oversight.
Bello, who is an Adjunct Professor of Arbitration and Law, University of Ibadan, made the call while delivering the 2026 Distinguished Personalities Lecture organised by the Faculty of Law, Redeemer's University, in honour of Justice Adedotun Adebola Omoloye Olabode.
The lecture, titled “The Paths of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Information Technology: What Is More and What Is Less?”, examined how technological developments, including Artificial Intelligence, AI, are changing the processes of arbitration, mediation and other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR.
The professor said Nigeria needed a clear regulatory framework to guide online dispute resolution, particularly in areas involving security, confidentiality, authentication, accessibility, procedural fairness, platform management, electronic settlements and enforcement.
He also urged ADR institutions to introduce policies regulating the use of Artificial Intelligence, stressing that such guidelines should address permitted applications, human supervision, data protection, verification, disclosure and responsibility for errors.
According to him, institutions must ensure that the growing adoption of technology does not expose confidential information or compromise the integrity of dispute resolution proceedings.
Bello further recommended that ADR institutions adopt internationally recognised cybersecurity standards to protect electronic communications, digital evidence and other sensitive information handled during dispute resolution.
On access to justice, he warned against allowing technology-assisted dispute resolution to exclude people who lack digital skills or access to appropriate facilities.
He said institutions should provide digital literacy support, physical assistance centres, accessible online platforms and alternative communication channels to ensure that more Nigerians could participate in the process.
The lecturer also called for specialised training for arbitrators, mediators, lawyers and ADR administrators in Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, digital evidence, online communication, data protection and technological ethics.
He maintained that human involvement must remain central to important decisions, even where Artificial Intelligence is deployed, insisting that AI-assisted processes should be subjected to meaningful human review.
Bello urged arbitration and mediation institutions to update their operational rules to accommodate virtual hearings, electronic evidence, AI-assisted submissions, cybersecurity requirements, electronic communications and digital confidentiality.
He also called for stronger international cooperation, noting that digital disputes increasingly cross national boundaries and require countries, including Nigeria, to remain engaged with international initiatives, particularly the work of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, UNCITRAL.
Presenting his findings, Bello said information technology had transformed ADR from largely physical proceedings into increasingly digital processes, adding that Online Dispute Resolution was more than simply conducting traditional mediation and arbitration through the internet.
He identified speed, flexibility, geographical accessibility, information management and automation as some of the benefits of technology, while highlighting cybersecurity threats, privacy concerns, digital exclusion, algorithmic bias and reduced human interaction as major challenges.
He, however, stressed that technology should strengthen rather than replace human judgment, stating: “Technology should augment the capacity of ADR without displacing the human values that give ADR its legitimacy.”
He added that the future of dispute resolution should be based on “AI with ADR”, rather than Artificial Intelligence replacing legal professionals and other human participants.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Adeleke University, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, described the lecture as an important platform for intellectual engagement and professional reflection on issues shaping the legal system and society. He said the subject was timely, noting that technology was transforming human interactions and institutional processes.
Akindele urged legal practitioners and students to examine how technology and alternative dispute resolution could complement traditional judicial processes, improve access to justice, reduce delays and enhance the administration of justice.
He commended the acting Dean and the Faculty of Law for organising the lecture, congratulated Justice Olabode on the honour and thanked Bello for accepting the invitation to share his expertise.
The Vice-Chancellor also encouraged students to engage with the issues discussed and consider how the knowledge could influence their future contributions to the legal profession.
Don calls for stronger regulations on AI-driven dispute resolution in Nigeria