Dr. Olufemi Elias has been nominated as Nigeria’s candidate to lead the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague in the Netherlands for the 2027 – 2036 term.

The ICJ was founded in 1945 as one of the six cardinal organs of the United Nations to resolve inter-state disputes and conflicts according to the provisions of international law.

The ICJ, also known as the World Court, has a panel of 15 judges elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms

Olufemi Elias currently holds the position of the Secretary-General of the African Association of International Law. He is also the Judge Ad Hoc at ICJ and a full member of the Institut de Droit International.

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If Elias wins the election at the ICJ, he will be the fourth Nigerian to sit at the ICJ, after Charles Onyeama, Bola Ajibola, and Taslim Elias.

He was formally presented to the UN diplomatic corps at the Nigeria House in New York by the Charge d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN, Amb. Samson Itegboje.

Itegboje noted that Elias was qualified for the position because of his length of experience in the field and years of service at the United Nations.

“Since 1960, Nigeria has been making significant contributions, both in terms of participation in cases before the ICJ and in promoting the ICJ’s role in global dispute resolution.

“Through these efforts, we can state without being immodest that Nigeria has contributed significantly to the development of international law.

“It is important to recall that our legal experts and diplomats have participated in legal submissions, particularly in cases dealing with territorial disputes, human rights, and maritime law.”