Since its establishment in 2001, Nigeria has only executed 10 out of 66 cases decided by the ECOWAS Court, raising concerns over compliance with regional judicial decisions.
The ECOWAS Court President, Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, revealed that Nigeria has fulfilled only a small fraction of the cases resolved by the court since its establishment in 2001. Out of 66 closed cases, only 10 have been executed, while 52 remain pending. This situation highlights serious issues regarding Nigeria's commitment to enforcing regional judicial decisions.
During a meeting in Nigeria concerning the enforcement of the court's judgments, Gonçalves emphasized that executing these decisions is not merely a favor to the court but a responsibility toward Nigerian citizens and the broader ECOWAS community. The low execution rate raises questions about Nigeria's judicial effectiveness and its engagement with ECOWAS protocols, which are designed to enhance cooperation and justice across member states.
The implications of Nigeria's failure to implement court decisions are significant, affecting not only the trust in the ECOWAS judicial system but also regional stability and governance. With 128 cases initiated against Nigeria and only limited compliance, the challenges ahead for the ECOWAS Court are clear, necessitating a more robust approach from Nigeria to uphold the rule of law and its commitments to the regional community.
