DEFINING LEGAL MILESTONES OF 2021
The Year 2021 was a very interesting year for Nigeria. The country grappled with many issues in the year – the economic impact of COVID – 19 and the “End SARS” protests with its resulting wanton destruction of lives and property; the decline in the value of Naira; the management of inflation among several other issues. It is also important to note the Federal and State Governments’ continuous strive to stabilize the economy and stem the tide of insecurity across Nigeria, particularly in the Northern part of the country. These issues will no doubt continue to dominate legal, economic and political discussions in 2022 being the year preceding an “election year”.
The long list of issues that shaped discussions across the country during the year under review includes the report issued by the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Victims of EndSars; the withholding of assent by the President, to the Electoral Bill as passed by the National Assembly. Other issues are the 2022 budgets of Federal and State Governments; the judgment of the Federal High Court, restraining the Ministry of Interior from contracting and registering marriages under the Marriage Act, within certain areas. The list continues with issues like the President assenting to the Climate Change Act; the appointment of Dr. Doyin Salami as the new Chief Economic Adviser to the President; the fight against corruption; Central Bank of Nigeria’s intervention to strengthen the Naira; Nigeria’s debt profile; in addition to several other issues and events.
At Jackson, Etti & Edu, we have, as usual, taken time out this year, to conduct an in-depth review of the events which dominated discourse in the past year, with particular focus on legal matters which have social, commercial and economic characteristics that would certainly have impact in the new year and beyond. We present the events below, and they are arranged in no particular order.
FCCPC Online Merger Notification Portal Launched
Further to the powers and functions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (the Commission or FCCPC) as enshrined in the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, the Commission, on October 14, 2021 launched its online merger notification portal (the Portal). All applications for the FCCPC’s approval for transactions are now to be made online through the Portal and all supporting documents are to be uploaded on the Portal.