The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, has called on the Nigerian government to take the lead in enforcing the court’s judgments, stressing that such action would strengthen the rule of law across West Africa and restore confidence in regional justice mechanisms.
Justice Gonçalves made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja during a bilateral meeting between the Court and the Nigeria on the enforcement of the court’s judgments.
He disclosed that since the establishment of the regional court, a total of 128 cases have been instituted against Nigeria. Of these, 66 have been closed, 10 have been executed, while 52 remain pending execution.
According to the court president, Nigeria’s compliance is crucial given its leadership role within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He noted that if Nigeria leads by example in implementing the court’s decisions, it would reinforce the authority of the institution and encourage other member states to comply with its rulings.
“If Nigeria leads by example, it would strengthen the authority of the court and encourage other states to comply,” he said.
Justice Gonçalves warned that failure to enforce judgments weakens the court’s authority, erodes citizens’ confidence in regional justice, and undermines West Africa’s image as a zone of legal and institutional stability.
He emphasised that effective enforcement of judgments is essential to the credibility of the regional judicial system and the broader integration agenda of ECOWAS. The meeting, he added, was aimed at fostering cooperation and identifying practical steps to improve compliance with the court’s decisions.
Stakeholders at the meeting reaffirmed the importance of strengthening collaboration between Nigeria and the court to ensure that community justice delivers tangible outcomes for citizens across the region.
