Students from eight Nigerian universities have gathered for the maiden edition of the Moot Court Competition of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, organised to foster legal integration, youth empowerment and to bring about the intellectual best of the students of the region.
The institutions include; Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU); University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), University of Uyo (UniUyo); University of Jos (UniJos) in Plateau State; Lagos State University (LASU); Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State; American University, Yola, and Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State.
The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, officially launched the four-day maiden edition of the Competition, which commenced on Wednesday at Zuma Rock Resorts, Niger State of Nigeria, with the theme “Promoting Regional Integration and Human Rights through Judicial Processes in West Africa.”
The historic event attracted a motley crowd of distinguished judges, academics, legal professionals, university representatives, and ECOWAS officials, to advance legal education and regional integration in West Africa.
Hon. Justice Gonçalves in his opening remarks said the competition is an important step in strengthening legal culture and regional integration, stressing that the event embodies far more than academic exercise because it serves as a strategic platform for building a more engaged, informed, and cohesive legal community across the ECOWAS region.
He said, “as the principal judicial organ of ECOWAS the Court is not only tasked with delivering justice but also with fostering understanding and accessibility. This Moot Court Competition reflects our enduring commitment to public engagement and to nurturing the next generation of legal minds.”
According to the president, the initiative will strengthen participants’ knowledge of the ECOWAS Court’s mandate and its contributions to regional peace, human rights, and integration. He stressed that the competition is also designed to sharpen the advocacy, research, and legal writing skills of aspiring lawyers, tools that are critical both in the courtroom and in public service.
The president said further that “regional integration is not solely an economic or political pursuit, it is also a legal one,” adding that “it is built on institutions that are transparent, fair, and accessible to all.”
It also offered a rare opportunity to foster meaningful connections among students, academics, legal practitioners, and ECOWAS institutions and enhance their intellectual capacity.
Justice Gonçalves told the participants to seize the moment and be bold in legal reasoning. He also charged them to be rigorous in their arguments, and always be guided by ethics, stressing that “This contest is not just about winning; it is about shaping jurists who are critical thinkers and champions of justice.”
The President also commended the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Parliament, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), participating law faculties, and other partners whose support, he said, have been tremendous in making the competition possible.
The Chief Registrar of the Community Court, Dr. Yaouza Ouro-Sama, in his remarks, said the competition was modelled after prominent ones in Africa and the rest of the world, adding that it will inspire vibrancy among the youth and enable them to strive for the best.
He emphasised that the competition would be extended to other member states of ECOWAS, saying: “I implore participants to pay keen attention to proceedings and learn from the process. We hope that at the end of this programme, participants will have garnered the required experience and confidence to represent their future clients before real courts. I look forward to stimulating intellectual debates during this competition.”
Also present at the inauguration was Vice President of the Court, Hon Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma from Sierra Leone; Hon Justice Dupe Atoki from Nigeria; Hon Justice Gberi-be Ouattara from Cote d’ Ivoire and former President of the Court, Hon Justice Edward Amoako Asante.
