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The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, has led an advance delegation of the Court to Lagos as part of the preparation for its upcoming External Court Sessions and sensitization campaign.
The events are scheduled for 5 to 7 May and from 8 to 16 May 2025 in Lagos.
The President on April 30 paid a courtesy visit to the Chief Judge of Lagos State at the Lagos High Court’s premises, during which both judicial leaders engaged in a rich and forward-looking discussion on legal collaboration, institutional challenges, and the role of regional justice mechanisms in West Africa.
Welcoming the delegation, Honourable Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, expressed deep appreciation for the visit, describing it as an honour to host such a distinguished judicial institution.
He commended the ECOWAS Court for its high standards of jurisprudence and its commitment to justice in the sub-region.
Acknowledging the Court’s achievements, he emphasized the importance of continued collaboration and exchange between national and regional judicial bodies.
The Chief Judge provided an overview of the Lagos State Judiciary’s structure and recent developments, including its expansion across five judicial divisions (Lagos Island, Ikeja, Epe, Badagry, and Ikorodu) and newer courts in high-density areas like Iba and Yaba.
He also outlined plans to establish more courts along underserved areas such as the Apapa–Badagry corridor, with support from local authorities and the judiciary’s leadership.
While highlighting that the judiciary in Lagos enjoys a fair degree of government support, the Chief Judge noted infrastructural constraints, particularly the adaptation of their current facility following the destruction of the previous High Court during the #EndSARS protests.
On the issue of enforcement of regional court decisions, the Chief Judge echoed a familiar challenge: the difficulty of enforcing judgments in sovereign states with diverse political climates.
He noted, however, that international charters must be respected once ratified, and that the existence of judicial bodies like the ECOWAS Court play a vital role in ensuring legal accountability and curbing impunity, even when direct enforcement mechanisms are limited.
In his response, President Ricardo who was accompanied by his Vice president, Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma and Dr. Yaouza Ouro-Sama, the Chief Registrar of the Court expressed gratitude to the Chief Judge and his colleagues for the warm welcome and institutional support.
He emphasized that the visit and upcoming court activities in Lagos would not have been possible without their cooperation.
He extended a formal invitation to the Chief Judge to attend the opening ceremony of the ECOWAS Court’s next judicial year, expected to take place in October or November 2025.
President Ricardo acknowledged the withdrawal of three member states from ECOWAS, which had reduced the number of participating states in the Court from 15 to 12. He described the development as regrettable but affirmed the Court’s continued commitment to its mandate.
He also outlined the ECOWAS Court’s core jurisdictions, which include: human rights protection (representing over 80% of its caseload), interpretation and application of ECOWAS legal instruments, disputes involving community civil servants, and advisory legal opinions to ECOWAS institutions.
Finally, the President highlighted the upcoming sensitization campaign, to be held from 5 to 7 May 2025 in Lagos, aimed at increasing public awareness about the Court’s role and improving access to regional justice.
