The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, on Monday hosted the President of the Court of the Economic Community of West African States, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja.
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Both leaders identified non-enforcement of court judgments as a major threat to justice in the West African sub-region.
The ECOWAS Court President was accompanied by other judges of the regional court and senior registry officials during the high-level engagement, which focused primarily on improving member states’ compliance with the Court’s decisions.
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, Osigwe, while welcoming the delegation, described the NBA as the umbrella body of all legal practitioners in Nigeria and a consistent advocate for the rule of law, constitutional governance and access to justice, both within Nigeria and across the sub-region.
He said the visit was timely, noting that it centred on a matter “fundamental to the survival and credibility of judicial institutions”, enforcement of judgments.
According to him, judicial authority is not sustained merely by the pronouncement of decisions, but by the certainty that those decisions will be obeyed.
He warned that where court judgments are routinely ignored or disobeyed, “the very foundation of justice is weakened.”
Osigwe stressed that for a supranational court such as the ECOWAS Court to retain legitimacy and command the confidence of citizens and member states, its decisions must be treated as binding obligations and not mere advisory opinions.
He said, “Enforcement is the lifeblood of adjudication and without compliance, even the most well-reasoned judgments risk becoming symbolic.”
The NBA President assured the regional court of the association’s readiness to collaborate on practical and sustainable mechanisms to strengthen compliance and deepen respect for the court’s authority across West Africa.
In his remarks, Justice Gonçalves expressed appreciation for the reception and the opportunity to engage directly with the leadership of Nigeria’s foremost professional legal body.
He explained that the Court’s ongoing engagements in member states were principally aimed at addressing persistent challenges surrounding the enforcement of its judgments.
The ECOWAS Court President described enforcement as a pressing institutional concern among the judges, with far-reaching implications for the court’s credibility, authority and long-term relevance.
According to him, the effectiveness of regional human rights protection and treaty enforcement depends significantly on member states’ willingness to comply with and give domestic effect to the Court’s decisions.
“Without effective enforcement frameworks, public confidence in regional justice mechanisms may gradually erode,” he said.
Justice Gonçalves emphasised that collaboration among the judiciary, the Bar, the executive arm of government and civil society was indispensable to resolving enforcement challenges.
He noted that strengthening dialogue, clarifying enforcement pathways and fostering political will were essential steps towards ensuring that the Court’s judgments are respected and implemented promptly.
He also invited members of the NBA to participate actively in ongoing stakeholder engagements aimed at advancing solutions to enforcement concerns and strengthening collective commitment to regional justice.
Responding, Osigwe assured the Court of the NBA’s participation and reiterated the association’s commitment to initiatives that strengthen judicial institutions, uphold accountability and reinforce the authority of regional courts within the ECOWAS community.
The meeting underscores growing concern within legal circles about the gap between pronouncement and compliance in regional adjudication, with stakeholders warning that judgments that remain unenforced risk undermining both domestic and supranational justice systems.
Both institutions expressed optimism that sustained dialogue and coordinated action would enhance compliance frameworks and safeguard the authority of the ECOWAS Court across the sub-region.
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