ECOWAS Court President Pays Courtesy Visit To Chief Judge Of Lagos State

The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, led an advance delegation of the Court to Lagos from April 28 to May 4, 2025, in preparation for its upcoming External Court Sessions and sensitisation campaign, which are scheduled to take place in Lagos from May 5 to 7, and May 8 to 16, 2025, respectively.

On April 30, 2025, the President paid a courtesy visit to the Chief Judge of Lagos State at the Lagos High Court, where the two judicial leaders engaged in a rich and forward-thinking discussion about legal collaboration, institutional challenges, and the role of regional justice mechanisms in West Africa.

Honourable Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, welcomed the delegation and expressed his gratitude for the visit, describing it as an honour to host such a distinguished judicial institution. He praised the ECOWAS Court for its high jurisprudence standards and commitment to justice in the subregion. Recognising the Court’s accomplishments, he emphasised the need for ongoing collaboration and exchange between national and regional judicial bodies.

The Chief Judge gave 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 the establishment of new courts in high-density areas such as Iba and Yaba. He also announced plans to establish more courts in underserved areas, such as the Apapa-Badagry corridor, with the support of local officials and judiciary leaders.

While emphasising that the judiciary in Lagos receives some government support, the Chief Judge cited infrastructure constraints, particularly the adaptation of their current facility following the destruction of the previous High Court during the #EndSARS protests.

On the issue of enforcing regional court decisions, the Chief Judge reiterated a well-known challenge: the difficulty of enforcing judgements in sovereign states with diverse political climates. He did, however, emphasise that once ratified, international charters must be respected, and that the existence of judicial bodies such as the ECOWAS Court is critical in ensuring legal accountability and combating impunity, even when direct enforcement mechanisms are limited.

President Ricardo, accompanied by Vice President Sengu Mohamed Koroma and Chief Registrar Dr. Yaouza Ouro-Sama, thanked the Chief Judge and colleagues for their warm welcome and institutional support. He emphasised that the visit and subsequent court proceedings in Lagos would not have been possible without their cooperation. He used the opportunity to extend a formal invitation to the Chief Judge to attend the opening ceremony of the ECOWAS Court’s next judicial year, which is expected to take place in October or November 2025.

President Ricardo acknowledged the withdrawal of three member states from ECOWAS, reducing the number of participating states in the Court from 15 to 12. He described the development as regrettable, but reaffirmed the Court’s commitment to its mandate.

He also discussed the ECOWAS Court’s primary jurisdictions, which include human rights protection (which accounts for more than 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 sensitisation campaign, which will take place in Lagos from May 5 to 7, 2025, with the goal of raising public awareness about the Court’s role and improving regional justice access.