Nigeria’s candidate for the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Dr. Olufemi Elias, has declared himself the most qualified among contenders for the vacant seat at The Hague, citing his extensive experience in academia, diplomacy, and international judicial service.
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Elias, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, said his background “ticks all the boxes” required for the prestigious position.
“I started as an academic, spent 20 years at the United Nations, and rose to the level of Assistant Secretary-General. Right now, I serve in various judicial capacities, including as Judge Ad Hoc of the ICJ itself,” he stated.
According to him, while other candidates boast strong academic credentials, his blend of academic, diplomatic, and judicial experience makes his candidature unique.
“My distinguished competitors are professors of international law. So they have that academic heft but we all have that. What sets me apart is my knowledge of the workings of the multilateral system in which the Court operates, and actual judicial experience,” Elias said.
He added that his competitors “lack both the understanding of the multilateral system and hands-on judicial experience,” noting that those two attributes distinguish him.
The election, which will fill the vacancy left by former Judge Abulqawi Yusuf whose term expires in February 2027 will be conducted simultaneously by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
Nigeria has intensified its diplomatic lobbying to secure support for Elias, with several events organized to promote his candidature.
Other nominees for the position include Professor Charles Jalloh and Professor Phoebe Okowa.
Elias currently serves as a Judge Ad Hoc at the ICJ, President of the Administrative Tribunal of the OPEC Fund for International Development, and Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Administrative Tribunal. He is also a full member of the Institut de Droit International and a visiting professor of international law at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Buckingham.
A former UN Assistant Secretary-General, Elias previously served as Legal Adviser and Director at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, and as Executive Secretary of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal in Washington, D.C.
He is the son of the late Taslim Olawale Elias, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Attorney-General, and President of the ICJ, who was one of Africa’s most celebrated jurists.
If elected, Dr. Olufemi Elias will become the fourth Nigerian to serve on the ICJ bench after Charles Onyeama, Bola Ajibola, and Taslim Elias and the first since 1994, when Nigeria last held a seat at the World Court.
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