The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has commenced high-level talks with the Nigerian government over the country’s persistent failure to implement its judgments.
The three-day bilateral meeting, which began on Monday at the Court’s headquarters in Abuja and ends on February 18, 2026, brings together representatives of Nigeria’s Competent National Authority (CNA) and other key stakeholders. The engagement is aimed at tackling longstanding concerns about Nigeria’s selective compliance with rulings issued by the regional court.
Leading the Court’s delegation, its President, Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, said the discussions are intended to establish a structured framework for collaboration that will address obstacles hindering the enforcement of the Court’s decisions in Nigeria.
Although the Revised Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States stipulates that the Court’s judgments are final and binding on all member states, Nigeria has repeatedly failed to comply with several decisions, particularly those concerning human rights violations and unlawful detentions.
According to a statement issued by the Court, the meeting forms part of activities marking ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary and seeks to strengthen cooperation between the regional judicial body and Nigerian authorities. The programme includes presentations, interactive sessions, and strategy discussions focused on improving enforcement mechanisms.
Participants are expected to identify barriers to compliance, propose practical solutions to enhance enforcement rates, and promote sustained collaboration between national institutions and the Court. The anticipated outcomes include harmonised enforcement procedures, improved capacity for national authorities, and the establishment of a coordinated network linking CNAs with the Court.
A special session will assess the current status of enforcement of the Court’s judgments in Nigeria. Other discussions will review the Court’s enforcement tools, examine the government’s perspective on implementation challenges, and feature engagement with civil society organisations. Talks on long-term cooperation are also scheduled.
As part of the visit, the Court’s delegation paid courtesy calls on senior Nigerian officials, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Finance, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Meetings are also planned with the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The delegation includes Vice President Sengu Mohamed Koroma, judges of the Court, directors, and other officials.
Nigeria represents the second country in the Court’s initial round of bilateral engagements with three ECOWAS member states. The first meeting was recently held in Sierra Leone, while a similar dialogue is scheduled to take place in Guinea.
Established under Articles 6 and 15 of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, the Court’s protocol was adopted in 1991, with its first judges appointed in 2001. The Court functions as a Community Court interpreting ECOWAS laws, an Administrative Tribunal for ECOWAS staff, an Arbitration Tribunal, and a Human Rights Court, with its decisions binding on all member states.
