Nigeria Nominates Dr. Taoheed Olufemi Elias for Election to International Court of Justice
The Federal Government has officially nominated Dr. Taoheed Olufemi Elias as Nigeria’s candidate for election to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), according to a statement released Tuesday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.
Announcing the nomination via his official X handle, Tuggar described Dr. Elias as “one of the most respected figures in the field of international law,” noting his decades of legal scholarship, service to the global community, and dedication to justice, equity, and the rule of law. He stressed that Dr. Elias’s career embodies “the ideals upon which the ICJ was founded and the values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.”
The nomination, Tuggar said, reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to a rules-based international order—one in which “justice is impartial, peace is safeguarded, and all nations, regardless of size or power, have an equal voice in shaping a fairer and more secure future for humanity.”
Calling on the international community to support Dr. Elias’s candidacy, the minister expressed confidence that his election would “strengthen the cause of global justice and advance the peaceful settlement of disputes among nations.”
The ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, adjudicates disputes between states and provides advisory opinions on complex issues of international law. Nigeria’s nomination of Dr. Elias signals a renewed push for active participation in shaping the global legal order and influencing key decisions on international peace and diplomacy.
