ABUJA, Nigeria – The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice is convening a bilateral meeting with Nigeria’s Competent National Authority (CNA) and other stakeholders to review the status of enforcing the Court’s judgments. The three-day event runs February 16–18, 2026 at the Court’s seat in Abuja and forms part of ECOWAS’s 50th-anniversary activities.
The engagement aims to strengthen cooperation between the ECOWAS Court and national authorities by establishing a framework for collaboration, sharing best practices, and addressing challenges in enforcing judgments. Officials say the meeting will feature presentations, discussions, and interactive sessions designed to foster comprehensive dialogue between the Court and the CNA, with the goal of improving compliance with ECOWAS judgments.
Key objectives include identifying and addressing impediments to enforcement, developing actionable strategies to boost enforcement rates, and promoting a shared understanding of existing constraints. Expected outcomes include the harmonization of enforcement procedures across jurisdictions, capacity building for effective enforcement, and the creation of a collaborative network of CNAs and the ECOWAS Court.
The program also features a special forum on the status of enforcement of the Court’s judgments, an overview of the Court’s enforcement mechanism, and a discussion of the enforcement landscape from a government perspective. There will be a bilateral session with civil society organizations and deliberations on next steps and future engagements. The three-day agenda begins with courtesy visits to 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. Additional attendees include the Executive Secretary of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The ECOWAS Court delegation is led by President Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves and includes Vice President Sengu Mohamed Koroma, members of the Court, along with various directors and staff.
Context and background notes indicate that the bilateral engagement series, organized as part of ECOWAS’s anniversary celebrations, began with a session in Sierra Leone, followed by Nigeria, with Guinea planned for a later date. The Court reiterates its mandate across four roles: interpreting and applying the ECOWAS Revised Treaty and community texts, serving as an Administrative Tribunal for ECOWAS public officials, acting as an Arbitration Tribunal, and functioning as a Human Rights Court. The Court’s decisions are final and binding on all member states.
For further information, contact Elohor Ovadje, Head of Public Information & External Relations Division, at +234 803-313-7553 or [email protected], or visit www.courtecowas.org.
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