NIGERIA-The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, is holding a bilateral meeting with the Competent National Authority (CNA) and other stakeholders in the Republic of 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, Federal Republic of Nigeria, forms part of activities commemorating the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS.

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, by establishing a framework for collaboration, exchange of best practice and addressing challenges affecting the effective enforcement of the Court’s judgments.

During the meeting, there will 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 objectives of the meeting include identifying and addressing challenges affecting enforcement, developing actionable strategies to enhance enforcement rates, fostering a shared understanding of existing constraints, and promoting sustainable cooperation among national authorities and the Court.

Expected outcomes include uniform enforcement procedures across jurisdictions, capacity building for effective enforcement, and the establishment of a collaborative network of CNAs and the Court.

The programme includes 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 a government perspective, a bilateral meeting with civil society organizations, as well as deliberations on next steps and future engagements.

The three-day Programme will commence with courtesy visits to top government officials, including the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Attorney General, Minister of Justice, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Others are the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.

The delegation from the Court, led by the Hon 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.

The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, was created pursuant to Articles 6 and 15 of the Revised Treaty.

The Protocol relating to the Court was adopted in 1991, but the pioneer Judges were appointed in 2001.

Basically, the Court has four distinct mandates: as a Community Court with the primary responsibility of interpreting and applying the ECOWAS Revised Treaty and other Community Texts; as an Administrative Tribunal for ECOWAS public officials; as an Arbitration Tribunal; and as a Human Rights Court.

The decisions of the Court are final and binding on all Member States of the ECOWAS.