The Nigerian government has expressed approval for the decision made by a London court on Monday, which nullified a $11 billion fine related to a failed gas project involving the country’s biggest economy and a private corporation.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu praised the decision made by the London Business and Property Court regarding the 2010 gas deal, hailing it as a triumph for the African continent, which has long been subjected to exploitation by officials.

Tinubu stated that nation states will no longer be under the control of economic schemes involving private companies and corrupt individuals.

The country of Nigeria and the company Process and Industrial Developments, which is located in the British Virgin Islands, entered into an agreement to build a facility for processing gas in Nigeria’s area abundant in oil.

Unfortunately, the agreement ultimately did not go through. As a result, P&ID filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian government in a British court.

In 2017, a court ruled that Nigeria must compensate P&ID with a $6.6 billion contract award and additional interest.

The ruling was challenged by the government.

On Monday, the court stated that in 2010, the company had given a bribe to a Nigerian oil ministry official in relation to the agreement.

The court also stated that P&ID did not reveal this information when the agreement fell through and that two British lawyers representing the company would gain from a ruling in the company’s favor.

According to Rotimi Olawale, a political analyst from Nigeria, this ruling brings some relief for the largest economy in Africa.

According to Olawale, Nigeria narrowly avoided a serious problem due to the current foreign exchange challenges in the country. If they had been ordered to pay $11 billion, it would have greatly impacted Nigeria’s financial state.

The lawyers representing the company express their disappointment with the result and are contemplating their next course of action. The company has refuted the accusations of fraud and has accused Nigeria of being inept.

The economy of Nigeria has been facing challenges due to rising inflation and increasing debts over a prolonged period of time. In recent times, government initiatives aimed at reform have caused a significant decrease in the country’s foreign exchange reserve, resulting in a high demand for U.S. dollars and a decline in the value of the local currency.

$11 billion would have represented approximately 33% of Nigeria’s foreign currency reserves.

According to Ebenezer Oyetakin, the Anti-Corruption Network’s founder, the ruling could not have been more timely.

He stated that this is an illustration of the economic struggles faced by numerous African nations. He believes that this will greatly benefit the struggling Nigerian economy, as we are currently witnessing. However, we must not become complacent and must continue to strongly oppose corruption.

According to Olawale, it is imperative for both Nigeria and the entire African continent to tackle institutional corruption.

Olawale expressed that the decision should allow us to clean up our own internal affairs. He believes that Nigeria, along with other developing nations, often engages in questionable contracting practices. It is our responsibility as a country to thoroughly research and streamline our contracting procedures with outside parties.

According to reports, the London court may choose to either refer the case back to arbitration or dismiss it immediately.