The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has pledged her commitment to deepen the links between national judiciaries and the ECOWAS Court of Justice and also called for structured engagement, including referral of cases involving community law, joint training initiatives, and robust implementation of decisions.

The CJN spoke as the Chairperson at the opening ceremony yesterday of the External Court Session of the Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, sitting at the High Court building at Osborne, Lagos.

She said the ECOWAS Court is uniquely positioned to handle cases of regional significance—cases that transcend borders, challenge sovereigns, and demand accountability at the highest level.

The CJN said the outreach has cleared all grey areas and is now more committed to cooperation with the peace, noting that the rule of law is not a decorative principle but the bedrock of development, stability, and peace.
She said, “Its mandate is as bold as it is vital: to interpret community law, protect human rights, and resolve issues that threaten regional cohesion.”

As the court commenced sitting, she wished the session to be productive, enlightening, and impactful in advancing the cause of justice in the sub-region.

Earlier, President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Claudio Montero Goncalves, noted that Article 24 of the Protocol of the Court, as amended, provides that the decisions of the Court are to be executed by the member states in accordance with their rules of civil procedure, and that “all member states shall determine the competent national authority for the purpose of receipt and processing of execution and notify the Court accordingly.”

He revealed that out of the 12 member states of the Community, only 2 member states are yet to comply with this provision.
“It is crystal clear that in order to fully play the role of the ‘watchdog’ of the Community legal order and to maintain the image of a vital and independent regional court, the Court must have the cooperation of member states,” he said, adding that the credibility of the Court will be adversely affected if its judgments are not implemented by member states.

“We note with regret that many of the decisions of the Court are yet to be implemented by the member states concerned. It will be counter-productive to render the Court a toothless bulldog. We will therefore continue to appeal to all member states for their collaboration and support. I wish to acknowledge with gratitude the respect that has been shown to the Court by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in regularly submitting to the jurisdiction of the Court, but we humbly appeal that this good gesture should be extended to the implementation of the decisions of the Court.”

He said that ECOWAS is committed to the respect of democracy and good governance in the sub-region and that the judiciary is a key pillar in the rule of law architecture, at both national and regional levels.

He added, “In any constitutional democracy, the judiciary ought to be an independent pillar of the state, constitutionally mandated to exercise the judicial authority of the state fearlessly and impartially.

“We are fortunate that ECOWAS has also adopted human rights as a fundamental value of the Community. It is not in doubt that in the promotion and protection of human rights and in the administration of justice generally, the Court plays a central role as an independent judiciary in matters concerning the rule of law.”

Also, in his remarks, the Chief Justice of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, said collaboration is needed to secure the dignity and respect of the ECOWAS Court.