Treaties without teeth: Why Nigeria can no longer ignore international law

Nigerian diplomats and legal experts have urged the government to strengthen international law enforcement, warning that selective compliance by powerful nations threatens global stability and exposes Nigeria to costly international disputes, Onozure Dania writes

Nigerian diplomats and legal experts have urged the government to strengthen international law enforcement, warning that selective compliance by powerful nations threatens global stability and exposes Nigeria to costly international disputes, Onozure Dania writes

From the risk of Nigerian government assets being seized abroad over contractual disputes to concerns that powerful countries are increasingly disregarding international rules, diplomats and legal experts have warned that international law must move beyond treaties and declarations to effective implementation.

At the 47th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Society of International Law in Lagos, speakers called for stronger accountability, greater respect for international obligations and a more assertive Nigerian role in global affairs. The need for the Council for Legal Education to make public international law, international economic law and international trade law compulsory in Nigerian law schools came to the fore. It was argued that inadequate knowledge of those subjects could expose the country to costly legal and diplomatic consequences.

The conference, which was held in Lagos, had the theme “From Obligations to Implementation: Re-assessing the Efficacy of International Law in Contemporary International Relations”.

The discussions reflected a growing concern among the speakers that selective compliance, inadequate enforcement and powerful countries’ tendency to place national interests above obligations they had accepted were weakening the credibility of the international legal order.

For participants, the challenge was not simply to develop more international rules, but to ensure existing agreements were respected, institutions were strengthened, and countries such as Nigeria were better equipped to protect their interests.

Selective compliance threatens global order

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, General Ike Nwachukwu (retd.), warned that powerful nations’ selective application of international law could erode confidence in international agreements and undermine global stability.

Nwachukwu, who chaired the event, criticised countries that invoked international treaties against weaker states while disregarding the same provisions when their own interests were at stake.

“We are also witnesses to the unflattering situation where some member States flout the provisions of treaties and conventions claiming national interests, whilst holding down weaker member States to the same provisions,” he said.

“How unfair and inconsistent with an equitable world order can it all be?” he asked.

He warned that such double standards could encourage more countries to withdraw from treaties or violate international rules under the pretext of protecting their national interests.

“If this pattern continues, I fear that sooner rather than later, more countries will opt out of these treaties or violate international laws and provisions of agreed treaties citing national interests, thus triggering the collapse of order in international relations,” he said.

He also criticised situations in which powerful countries pressure weaker nations to change leadership while exploiting their resources, warning that such conduct could undermine sovereignty and confidence in international institutions.

Despite these concerns, the former minister maintained that international law remained indispensable in an increasingly interconnected world.

“Without a doubt, the world needs international law,” he noted.

He cited international trade, diplomacy, security, environmental protection, migration, human rights, technological advancement and economic development as areas that depend on rules and institutions that transcend national boundaries.

Drawing on his experience in Africa’s diplomatic and political history, including Namibia’s independence, the establishment of non-racial democracy in South Africa and the adoption of the Abuja Treaty in 1991, Nwachukwu recalled the hopes that international agreements had generated for African integration and development.

However, he stressed that signing agreements was only the beginning. Their value depended on countries’ willingness and ability to translate their commitments into practical outcomes.

He urged the conference to move beyond identifying weaknesses in the international legal system and develop practical recommendations to bridge the gap between obligations and implementation.

Stronger legal expertise

For retired Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni, weak implementation and inadequate knowledge of international law have consequences beyond diplomatic disagreements. They can also affect Nigeria’s public finances, government assets and economic relationships with foreign investors.

In a keynote address, Olukanni called on the Council for Legal Education to make public international law, international economic law and international trade law compulsory subjects in Nigerian law schools.

“I want to recommend that public international law, international economic law and the work of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law should be compulsory subjects,” he said.

Olukanni, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, said his experience had shown him how international legal issues could affect Nigeria’s economic and diplomatic interests.

He recalled becoming aware of Nigerian aircraft being detained abroad over contractual disputes during his tenure at the business association.

He also expressed concern about state governments entering into agreements with foreign investors without adequate legal scrutiny.

Recounting an encounter with an official at a state Ministry of Justice, Olukanni said he questioned whether the ministry examined investment agreements with foreign companies and whether its staff understood the international legal implications of such contracts.

The experience reinforced his conviction that international law should be better integrated into legal education.

He argued that lawyers and government officials who negotiate or review international agreements need to understand the obligations such contracts create and the potential consequences of failing to meet them.

Olukanni urged the Nigerian Institute of International Law to engage the Council for Legal Education and the incoming administration after the 2027 general election on the proposal.

He also warned that powerful nations’ disregard for international legal processes should not discourage smaller states from using established mechanisms to defend their interests.

“Politics is a hard game. International politics is even harder,” he said, urging diplomats, academics and younger generations to continue defending international law.

Weaker nations must speak out

Ambassador Adenike Ukonga warned that the international community risked normalising a system in which military and economic strength determined how international law was applied.

In her goodwill message, she urged less powerful countries to speak out against violations, even when they lacked the military capacity to confront dominant nations directly.

“It is very, very important, especially in this day and age, that we see the impunity with which international law is being trampled upon,” she said.

Ukonga cautioned against an international order in which countries with greater resources assumed they could act without regard for established rules.

“We are not in an age where we think might is right and that what is good for the goose is no longer good for the gander. And if you have money, you can do whatever you like,” she said.

She illustrated the danger by referring to the possibility of a country entering another sovereign state and abducting its president, warning that such an action could trigger chaos and a wider international crisis.

Ukonga argued that countries without the military capability to confront powerful states should use their voices to condemn violations rather than remain silent.

“So, it’s a good thing, even if you don’t have the military capacity or capability to really fight all these countries that are very, very important, to ensure that at least we call them out and we see it as it is,” she stated.

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She warned that silence from weaker nations could embolden powerful countries to undermine others’ rights and sovereignty, with the consequences of international crises eventually extending beyond the countries directly involved.

Ukonga also challenged the Nigerian Society of International Law to promote accountability more effectively and encourage younger people to engage with international legal issues.

She argued that military weakness should not translate into diplomatic silence, especially when violations of international law could affect the security and sovereignty of several countries.

The cost of agreements

Ambassador Segun Akinsanya focused on the difficulty of turning international negotiations into practical outcomes, warning that failing to implement agreements undermines global cooperation.

In his goodwill message, Akinsanya acknowledged that international law could not be enforced in exactly the same way as domestic law. However, he said countries had a moral obligation to honour agreements they had voluntarily accepted.

“Yes, international law cannot be enforced as much as you do in domestic law, but the moral obligation of acceding to international agreements and obligations is one that will shape the progress in international relations,” he highlighted.

Drawing on his experience in disarmament negotiations in Geneva, Akinsanya recalled how delegates spent considerable time debating the wording of agreements and assessing progress toward their objectives.

He said discussions among Group of 21 members on disarmament showed the painstaking nature of diplomacy and the compromises required to reach consensus.

Akinsanya also highlighted debates surrounding the nuclear non-proliferation framework, recalling arguments by some countries that restrictions on nuclear weapons development created what they described as a system of nuclear apartheid.

The framework, he noted, sought to prevent some countries from developing nuclear weapons while existing nuclear powers retained their capabilities, raising questions about fairness in the international system.

He argued that the difficulties surrounding such negotiations illustrated diplomacy’s limits when countries failed to fulfil commitments or deliberately obstructed implementation.

“When we do a lot to come out with these agreements, and some people are then deliberately unrelenting, the domestication or the implementation is not something that is good for the progress of the world,” he added.

Akinsanya urged the conference to produce recommendations that can influence government decisions, stressing that the outcome of deliberations should reach the Presidency and relevant government agencies.

For him, the success of international agreements should be measured not only by countries’ ability to negotiate and sign them, but also by their willingness to implement the commitments they contain.

Nigeria must find its voice

Ambassador Wole Coker urged the Nigerian Society of International Law to play a more active role in assessing global developments and making recommendations to guide Nigeria’s foreign policy.

In his goodwill message, Coker challenged the society to move beyond academic discussions and offer practical advice to policymakers on the changing international order.

“I want you to realise that your society is important. You must start to assess and reassess how the world is moving,” he said.

He recalled a proposal by former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, to create a council of medium powers to bring together countries with comparable influence and assess developments in the international system.

According to Coker, the proposal was not pursued because of concerns that it could introduce Nigeria’s nuclear ambitions into the discussions.

He stated that the idea nevertheless highlighted the need for countries seeking to influence global affairs to collaborate in examining the international order and responding to emerging challenges.

Coker expressed concern that principles established to promote global stability and respect for international law were increasingly being disregarded.

He urged the society to use its expertise to guide policymakers and contribute to international discussions, insisting that its responsibility should extend beyond advising the Nigerian government.

“We want to hear your voice internationally so that they know that that voice is coming from Africa and indeed from Nigeria,” he said.

His appeal reflected the need for Nigeria and other African countries to participate more actively in shaping international rules and institutions, rather than merely responding to decisions taken by more powerful states.

Turning scholarship into action

The President of the Nigerian Society of International Law, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, said the effectiveness of international law should be measured by whether countries respected their obligations and whether those obligations translated into tangible improvements in people’s lives.

Omorogbe warned that treaties and conventions do not automatically guarantee compliance, accountability or justice.

“We have developed an impressive body of international treaties, conventions, principles and institutions, yet reality has shown that the existence of legal obligations does not necessarily translate into compliance, accountability or justice,” she asserted.

She identified armed conflicts, threats to state sovereignty, human rights violations, climate change, technological developments and geopolitical tensions as some of the challenges testing the international legal order.

Omorogbe also called for renewed commitment to society’s growth, urging members to strengthen research and publications, encourage younger scholars and professionals, expand membership and deepen engagement with government, the diplomatic community, professional institutions and the public.

“Institutions do not grow merely because their leaders wish them to grow. They grow because their members believe in them, invest in them and work collectively towards shared objectives,” she said.

Established in 1968 by the late Judge Taslim Olawale Elias, the society has provided a platform for scholarship, dialogue and engagement on international law and international relations for nearly six decades.

Omorogbe, its sixth president and first female leader, described her position as a privilege and expressed optimism that stronger partnerships and renewed commitment would help the society respond to contemporary challenges.

From treaties to consequences

Participants at the conference had a common concern: international law risks losing credibility when countries can disregard their obligations without meaningful consequences.

Nwachukwu warned that selective compliance could weaken the global order; Ukonga urged less powerful nations to challenge abuses; Olukanni highlighted the risks to Nigeria’s economic interests; Akinsanya stressed the importance of implementation; and Coker called for a stronger Nigerian voice in international affairs.

Omorogbe, meanwhile, challenged the society to translate its scholarship into practical engagement with government and the wider public.

For Nigeria, the issues raised go beyond international diplomacy. They concern protecting public assets, scrutinising agreements with foreign investors, environmental cooperation and the country’s capacity to defend its interests within international institutions.

Olukanni’s proposal to make international law subjects compulsory in Nigerian law schools offers one possible response, by strengthening the knowledge of future lawyers who may advise public institutions and private businesses on cross-border transactions.

But the wider challenge remains whether governments and international institutions will consistently implement the obligations they accept.

As global tensions continue to test the authority of international rules, the conference’s message was that treaties alone cannot guarantee justice or stability. Their effectiveness depends on implementation, accountability and states’ willingness to defend the principles they have agreed to uphold.