By Hagxy Don
In yet another significant legal triumph for Nigeria, a UK Appeal Court has dismissed an application brought by a director of Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID), seeking permission to overturn a landmark judgment that voided a $6.6 billion arbitration award previously granted against Nigeria.
The latest judgment, delivered on Tuesday, upholds the October 2023 findings of Justice Robin Knowles, which exposed a web of corruption and deception involving P&ID in connection with a 2010 gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA) signed with Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
According to Justice Knowles' ruling, P&ID paid bribes to Grace Taiga, then Director of Legal Services at the Ministry, to secure the contract. Crucially, the company failed to disclose these underhanded dealings when it initiated arbitration proceedings against Nigeria—a factor that played a pivotal role in the High Court’s decision to set aside the original arbitration award in December 2023.
The appeal was spearheaded by Seamus Andrew, who had represented P&ID during the arbitration and later became a director of the company in 2017 after acquiring a stake via his firm, Lismore Capital Limited. Andrew was listed as an additional appellant alongside P&ID, with the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the respondent.
Justice Knowles, sitting at the High Court of Justice Business and Property Courts of England and Wales (Commercial Court), had not only ruled in favour of Nigeria in December 2023 but also denied P&ID the right to appeal—effectively shutting the door on the multibillion-dollar claim that had loomed over Nigeria for years.
The Premium Times, which obtained a copy of Tuesday’s judgment, reports that this latest dismissal marks a definitive win for Nigeria in one of its most high-profile international legal battles.
The judgment is being hailed as a vindication of the Nigerian government's persistent legal strategy and a stern warning to other companies that seek to exploit developing nations through fraudulent contracts and manipulated arbitration claims.