The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, has commenced a high-level bilateral meeting with Nigeria’s Competent National Authority (CNA) and other key stakeholders to review and strengthen the enforcement of its judgments in the country.
The three-day engagement, taking place from February 16 to 18, 2026, at the Court’s seat in Abuja, forms part of activities marking the 50th Anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The meeting is designed to deepen cooperation between the regional court and Nigerian authorities by creating a structured framework for collaboration, sharing best practices, and tackling persistent challenges affecting compliance with the Court’s rulings.
According to organisers, the sessions will feature presentations, interactive discussions and strategic dialogues aimed at improving Nigeria’s enforcement record and ensuring that judgments of the Court are effectively implemented.
Key objectives of the engagement include identifying bottlenecks hindering enforcement, developing actionable strategies to boost compliance rates, fostering a shared understanding of institutional constraints, and promoting sustainable cooperation between national authorities and the Court.
Expected outcomes from the talks include the development of more uniform enforcement procedures, enhanced capacity for implementation, and the creation of a collaborative network linking the Court with Competent National Authorities.
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The programme also features a special forum on the status of enforcement of the Court’s decisions, an overview of its enforcement mechanisms, discussions on the government’s enforcement landscape, and a bilateral dialogue with civil society organisations. Deliberations on next steps and future engagements will round off the sessions.
As part of the visit, the Court’s delegation will pay courtesy calls to top Nigerian officials, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Meetings are also scheduled with the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The delegation is led by the President of the Court, Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, and includes Vice President Sengu Mohamed Koroma, other members of the Court, directors and staff.
The Nigeria engagement is the second in a planned series of bilateral meetings across three ECOWAS Member States.
The initiative began with a similar meeting in Sierra Leone and will conclude with a third engagement in Guinea at a later date.
