In a historic effort to strengthen regional judicial authority, the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has convened its first-ever meeting of Competent National Authorities in Lagos, Nigeria. The two-day summit, which began on June 27, brings together senior legal officials, justice ministers, and government representatives from all 15 ECOWAS member states.
The initiative aims to address the longstanding enforcement gap between the Court’s rulings and national-level implementation. Although the ECOWAS Court has issued over 170 judgments since its establishment in 2001—many involving human rights, electoral disputes, and cross-border conflicts—less than 30% have been fully enforced by national governments, according to court statistics. President of the ECOWAS Court, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, said “Our rulings must not remain symbolic. We are here to put mechanisms in place to ensure that decisions are respected and victims receive justice.”
Participants are expected to finalize a framework that strengthens the role of designated Competent National Authorities—liaison institutions within each member state responsible for implementing court decisions and providing regular compliance updates.
Legal experts at the summit emphasized that improved enforcement is critical to preserving the rule of law, maintaining public trust in ECOWAS institutions, and deterring impunity among powerful actors. This marks the first regional-level effort to institutionalize compliance mechanisms for ECOWAS Court rulings since its creation under the Revised Treaty of 1993.
