About the Citizens Mediation Centre (CMC)

The Citizens Mediation Centre (CMC) is a department in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice,
established in 1999 in response to the pressure and demands for an Alternative Dispute Resolution
scheme and also as part of the Lagos State Government policy of providing an enlargement of access to
justice and its institutions.

The Centre, was carved out of the Directorate for Citizens Rights (DCR), which was established from
the complaint centre. CMC is the first agency established by any government in Nigeria to provide
comprehensive legal assistance and mediation services for indigent members of the public as an
Alternative Dispute resolution body from the court system and Arbitration.

The Lagos State Citizens Mediation Law 2007 consolidated and institutionalised the development of
the Centre and provides legal framework for its operations. The law - "The Citizens Mediation Centre
Law" seeks to provide mediation on disputes relating to Landlord and Tenant matters; Employer and
Employee disputes; Family matters (including marital disputes, child custody, etc.), Workmen
Compensation matters; Property Inheritance and Land matters, Monetary claims, Commercial disputes,
and other civil related disputes.

The pioneer head of the CMC was Mrs. Elizabeth Idowu Alakija. She was succeeded by Mrs. (now
Hon. Justice) Atinuke Oluyemi of the High Court of Lagos State and thereafter, Mrs. Oluwatoyin
Atinuke Odusanya. Mrs. Sedoten Ogunsanya is the current Head of the Centre.

The Role and Functions of the Citizens Mediation Centre

The Centre serves as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre that provides a non-adversarial forum
for the mediation and settlement of a wide range of disputes between parties who, on invitation,
voluntarily present themselves for mediation at the Centre. The Centre has dynamic and seasoned team
of dedicated legal officers drawn from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice and supported by well
trained Project Officers including a core of support staff.

In a bid to adopt best practices in mediation as its modus operandi, the Centre boasts of five (5)
CEDAR Accredited Mediators and over sixty (60) certified Mediators. The efforts of the Centre are
further complemented by the strong collaborative partnership of the World Bank, the British Council
through Justice for All (J4A) and the Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project
(LMDGP).

The Centre has as its vision as follows: "To be the most efficient and effective Alternative Dispute
Resolution Centre in Lagos State and Nigeria in general, through timely management of disputes,
fairness and impartiality to parties and promotion of effective means of accessibility to justice by the
less privileged." Its mission statement, however, is "To serve as a non-adversarial dispute resolution
Centre through the use of Mediation process dispensing justice fairly, speedily and without
discrimination, fear or favour between the disputing residents of Lagos State, irrespective of tribe, race
and religion."