Nigeria Eyes ICJ Seat: Dr. Olufemi Elias Confident of Making History at The Hague

Nigeria’s nominee for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, Dr. Olufemi Elias, has expressed confidence in his candidacy, asserting that his profile “ticks all the boxes” among those contesting for the prestigious judicial position.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, Dr. Elias said his combination of academic distinction, UN leadership experience, and judicial expertise places him ahead of other contenders. “I started as an academic, spent 20 years at the UN and rose to the level of Assistant Secretary-General. Right now, I serve in various judicial capacities, including as Judge Ad Hoc of the ICJ itself,” he said.

Dr. Elias emphasised that unlike his competitors, he has practical experience within the multilateral system and in real judicial service. “My distinguished competitors are professors of international law… but they neither have the knowledge of the system nor the judicial experience,” he added.

Nigeria has been actively lobbying for his election, organising several diplomatic engagements to promote his candidature. The ICJ election — to fill the seat vacated by Judge Abulqawi Yusuf — will be held simultaneously in the UN General Assembly and Security Council, with the winner serving until February 2027.

A seasoned international law expert, Dr. Elias has held top roles including UN Assistant Secretary-General, Legal Adviser at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and President of the OPEC Fund Administrative Tribunal. He is also a member of the Institut de Droit International, an honour reserved for elite legal scholars.

Notably, Dr. Elias is the son of late Taslim Elias, a towering figure in Nigerian legal history who served as Chief Justice of Nigeria, Attorney-General, and later President of the ICJ. If successful, Olufemi Elias would become the fourth Nigerian to sit on the World Court — and the first since 1994 — continuing a legacy of legal excellence on the global stage.