Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to constructive engagement with the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
In a statement issued by Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the minister pledged Nigeria’s readiness to work closely with the court to find practical solutions that will uphold its integrity and advance sub-regional integration.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu made the remarks while receiving the President of the court, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, during a high-level meeting focused on the enforcement of the court’s judgments within member states.
She noted that Nigeria is taking steps to enhance public awareness of ECOWAS institutions, including plans to introduce ECOWAS Clubs in educational institutions to promote better understanding of the community’s structures and objectives.
According to her, improved communication and coordination between the court, national governments and domestic judicial systems, as well as harmonised enforcement mechanisms, would strengthen consistency and effectiveness in executing judgments across member states.
While acknowledging the importance of the engagement, particularly during activities marking the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS, she commended the court for its leadership role among sub-regional courts in Africa.
The minister described statistics presented by Gonçalves regarding the enforcement of the court’s judgments as a matter requiring serious attention and assured that the concerns raised would be forwarded to relevant authorities, especially the Federal Ministry of Justice, for further review and action.
She reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to sub-regional integration, the rule of law and effective multilateral cooperation within the ECOWAS community.
Earlier, Gonçalves reaffirmed the court’s readiness to collaborate with Nigeria in addressing challenges related to the enforcement of judgments.
He disclosed that the court had registered 128 cases involving Nigeria, of which 66 had been concluded, 10 judgments executed, while 52 remain pending execution.
The court president expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s longstanding support to ECOWAS and its judicial arm, noting that the visit formed part of activities commemorating the bloc’s 50th anniversary and aimed at engaging member states on the issue of non-enforcement of judgments.
Gonçalves observed that failure to enforce the court’s decisions undermines the credibility of the institution and the broader goal of sub-regional judicial integration.
He emphasised Nigeria’s pivotal role as a founding member and key pillar of the ECOWAS community, stating that its example in ensuring compliance would have far-reaching implications for the integrity of the regional judicial system.
“There is a need for closer collaboration between the Court and national authorities to develop improved mechanisms for enforcement and strengthen the rule of law within the community,” he said.