The Lagos State Citizens Mediation Centre (CMC) has been upgraded from a Directorate to a full-fledged Agency. The Directorate has been renamed Citizens’ Mediation Bureau (CMB) and will now be headed by a Permanent Secretary.
According to an official circular issued and signed by the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Agoro, this transformation reflects the government’s dedication to strengthening access to justice and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the state.
Following the development, a newly appointed Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Aderinsola Olanrewaju has been deployed as the pioneer Permanent Secretary of the Citizens’ Mediation Bureau.
Mrs. Olanrewaju is a distinguished legal practitioner with more than 30 years of experience in legal practice, who has over the years deepened her expertise in various areas of legal practice, including Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Advanced Arbitration and Mediation, Land Use Charge Dispute Adjudication, and Effective Leadership Skills.
The new Permanent Secretary is a member of several prestigious organizations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), the International Bar Association (IBA), the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), and the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) UK.
Having joined the Lagos State Civil Service in 1999, she has served in various capacities, including as Counsel in the Directorate of Civil Litigation and the Directorate of Citizens’ Rights. She also held key positions at CMC as Head of the Allen and Lagos Offices before being deployed to the Land Use Charge Assessment Appeal Tribunal as Registrar.
The transition of CMC to the Citizens’ Mediation Bureau marks a major milestone in Lagos State’s commitment to providing accessible and efficient dispute resolution services for residents.
The Bureau is poised to further enhance alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and ensure that justice remains accessible to all residents of Lagos State.
