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US Court Backs French Court’s Affirmation Of $70m Arbitration Award Against Nigeria
A U.S. Appeal Court court has granted Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. permission to enforce a $70 million arbitration award against Nigeria.
In a 2-1 decision on August 9, the court upheld a previous ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, affirming the enforceability of the award.
In January 2023, Judge Beryl Howell, who presided over the lower court, rejected Nigeria’s claim that the court lacked jurisdiction due to its status as a sovereign state.
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Howell ruled that the court does have jurisdiction, noting that the United Kingdom, where the arbitration award was issued, is a signatory to the New York Convention, which governs the enforcement of international arbitration awards.
In 2010, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., through its Chinese parent company, Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group Co. Ltd., secured rights to develop a free trade zone in Ogun State, Nigeria.
By the following year, Zhongshan established Zhongfu International Investment (NIG) FZE, a Nigerian entity, to manage the project with the approval of the Ogun State government.
However, in July 2016, tensions arose when the investor accused the state government of abruptly attempting to terminate its role and replace it with a new manager for the free trade zone.
In response, Zhongfu initiated an investment treaty arbitration against Nigeria under the bilateral investment treaty (BIT) between China and Nigeria.
The arbitrators concluded that Nigeria had violated its obligations under the China-Nigeria BIT and awarded Zhongshan approximately $70 million in compensation.
In January 2022, the Chinese company filed a case to enforce the $70 million arbitration award.
Nigeria argued for state immunity, but Sara Cockerill, a UK high court judge, dismissed the plea, stating that Nigeria had misused the time allowed for appealing arbitral awards.
In its majority judgment, the U.S. appellate court ruled that the arbitration award is enforceable under the New York Convention, as the dispute involves “persons” engaged in a legal commercial relationship.
The court further determined that the arbitration exception under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) nullified Nigeria’s claim to sovereign immunity in this case.
“For the foregoing reasons, we hold that the final award is enforceable under the New York convention because it arose out of differences between ‘persons’ that share a legal, commercial relationship,” the majority judgment reads.
“The district court therefore has jurisdiction over this case under the FSIA’s arbitration exception. The judgment of the district court is affirmed.”
The majority judgment was written by Judges Patricia Millett and Julianna Childs.
In his dissenting opinion, Judge Gregory Katsas argued that the term “persons,” as understood when the New York Convention was drafted, did not include sovereign nations.
He also asserted that the actions of Ogun State should not be imputed to Nigeria, noting that the arbitration award stems entirely from Nigeria’s sovereign acts under public international
Katsas said, “Text, legal context, and drafting history all indicate that the word ‘persons,’ as used in the New York Convention, does not include signatory nations acting as sovereigns. I respectfully dissent.
Just three days after the U.S. appeal court’s ruling, a Paris court in France ordered the seizure of three jets owned by the Nigerian government in connection with the $70 million arbitration award owed to the Chinese company.
In 2023, a UK court of appeal also held Nigeria liable for the same arbitration award in favor of the Chinese firm.
This outcome means Nigeria has now lost arbitration award cases related to the dispute in France, the U.S., and the UK.
The Nigerian government has accused the Chinese firm of trying to use deceptive tactics to gain control of the country’s offshore assets.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
Nigerians are facing yet another economic blow as petrol prices surge again. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N1,175 per litre, marking the third increase in just one week.
The latest adjustment, announced to marketers on Monday, follows a temporary suspension of petrol sales at the refinery on Sunday. Diesel, also known as Automotive Gas Oil, has also been revised upwards to N1,620 per litre.
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A senior refinery official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the hike, noting that it reflects “prevailing market fundamentals and the cost environment we are currently operating in.”
Industry checks show that depot pricing systems have already updated the new rates, signaling an inevitable rise at retail stations.
In some cities, petrol is now being sold at over N1,200 per litre, adding pressure on Nigerian motorists and businesses alike.
This repeated surge comes after earlier increases that pushed gantry prices from N774 to N995 per litre earlier this week.
Experts warn that the hikes are likely to drive up transportation, logistics, and production costs, potentially impacting the prices of goods and services nationwide.
While the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), is working to secure crude supplies for the refinery via international traders, officials cautioned that this may not immediately reduce prices for consumers.
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