The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS is holding a bilateral meeting with the Competent National Authority (CNA) and other stakeholders in Nigeria on the status of enforcement of the Court’s judgments.
The meeting scheduled for 16-18 February 2026 at the Seat of the Court in Abuja, Nigeria forms part of activities commemorating the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS.
A statement issued in Accra said the bilateral engagement convened as part of activities marking the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS, is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Court and national authorities of the Member State.
This would be done by establishing a framework for collaboration, exchange of best practice and addressing challenges affecting the effective enforcement of the Court’s judgments.
It said during the meeting, there would be presentations, discussions and other interactive sessions that allow for comprehensive dialogue between the Court and the CNA, with a view to improving compliance with ECOWAS Court judgments.
The meeting was to identify and address challenges affecting enforcement, developing actionable strategies to enhance enforcement rates, foster a shared understanding of existing constraints, and promote sustainable cooperation among national authorities and the Court.
The statement said expected outcomes included uniform enforcement procedures across jurisdictions, capacity building for effective enforcement, and establishment of a collaborative network of CNAs and the Court.
The programme included a special forum on the status of enforcement of judgments of the Court, an overview of the Court’s enforcement mechanism, the enforcement landscape from government perspective, a bilateral meeting with civil society organisations as well as deliberations on next steps and future engagements.
It said the three-day programme would commence with courtesy visits to top government officials including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Others are the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria and President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The delegation from the Court led by the President Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves includes the Vice President Sengu Mohamed Koroma, Members of the Court, some directors and staff members.
The bilateral engagement series scheduled for three ECOWAS Member States at the initial stage began with the bilateral meeting recently held in Sierra Leone, the present bilateral engagement in Nigeria and a third one in Guinea at a later date.
Source: GNA
