The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, has revealed that 80% of the regional court’s judgments remain unenforced by member states.
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This disclosure was made on Monday, February 16, during a high-level courtesy visit to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, in Abuja.
Justice Gonçalves lamented that a lack of political will and significant procedural challenges have hindered the execution of the court’s verdicts.
He called on Nigeria to “lead by example,” noting that as the sub-region’s most influential member, Nigeria’s commitment to compliance would compel other member states to follow suit.
The visit sought to solicit the support of the CJN in ensuring that ECOWAS Court judgments are given domestic legal weight.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the CJN, Mr. Tobi Soniyi, the ECOWAS President decried the fact that despite the court’s mandates, the promise of justice for community citizens remains largely unfulfilled.
Justice Kekere-Ekun has advised the ECOWAS Court of Justice to come up with guidelines that will facilitate the enforcement of its judgment by member states.
She commended the ECOWAS Court for its landmark and impressive judgments on the enforcement of fundamental human rights in the sub-region.
She stressed the importance of enforcement of the judgments of the ECOWAS Court, noting, however, that enforcing the court’s judgments lies mainly with the executive.
The CJN therefore advised the court to use the opportunity provided by its Bilateral Meeting on the Status of the Judgments of the Community Court of Justice of ECOWAS to develop a uniform procedure for the enforcement of the court’s judgments.
Justice Kekere-Ekun further counselled the judges of the court to consult widely with stakeholders to rework existing guidelines for enforcement of the court’s judgments and pledged support for the ECOWAS Court in areas of training through the National Judicial Institute (NJI).
Also on Monday, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN received in audience the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice alongside other Judges of the court and senior members of its Registry and staff, at the NBA National Secretariat.
In his address, the NBA President noted that judicial authority is not sustained merely by the pronouncement of decisions, but by the certainty that those decisions will be obeyed, adding that where court judgments are routinely disobeyed or ignored, the very foundation of justice is weakened.
The NBA President emphasised that for the ECOWAS Court to retain legitimacy and command the confidence of citizens and Member States alike, its decisions must be treated as binding obligations rather than advisory declarations.
He noted that enforcement is the lifeblood of adjudication and that without compliance, even the most well-reasoned judgments risk becoming symbolic and assured the Court of the NBA’s readiness to collaborate in advancing practical and sustainable mechanisms that will strengthen compliance and deepen respect for the Court’s authority across the region.
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