Nigerian-born international law scholar, Professor Dapo Akande, has been elected a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with Nigeria welcoming the development as a significant achievement in the country’s contribution to global legal affairs.
Akande emerged following an election by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Nominated by the United Kingdom, he is expected to serve a nine-year term beginning February 6, 2027, and ending in 2036.
His election also returns a British judge to the 15-member court after nearly a decade.
Akande, a Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford, expressed appreciation to the countries that supported his candidacy and pledged to carry out his judicial duties independently.
He said he would decide cases through an impartial and faithful application of international law, while contributing to the peaceful resolution of disputes among nations.
Nigeria hails Akande’s emergence
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, congratulated President Bola Tinubu over Akande’s election.
Ibrahim described the development as an important achievement for Nigeria’s standing within the UN system and a recognition of the contributions of Nigerians to international institutions.
The ambassador also said Nigeria had one major target left in what he described as its “100 per cent UN ambition” — securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Although Akande was born in Nigeria and received his early legal training in the country, his candidacy was formally backed by the United Kingdom. As an ICJ judge, he will serve independently and not as a representative of either country.
Legal career spanning nearly three decades
Akande is the Chichele Professor of Public International Law at Oxford University, a Fellow of All Souls College and an elected member of the United Nations International Law Commission.
He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, in 1992 and qualified as a barrister and solicitor in Nigeria in 1993.
He later earned a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1994.
His career has spanned legal scholarship, international litigation and advisory work for governments and international organisations. He has also appeared as counsel, adviser and expert in proceedings before international courts and tribunals, including the ICJ.
UK welcomes return to the court
Akande’s election is also a diplomatic success for the United Kingdom, which had been without a judge on the ICJ since 2017, when Sir Christopher Greenwood failed to secure re-election.
The British government backed Akande’s campaign, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham and senior officials expressing confidence in his legal expertise and independence.
The ICJ, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It resolves legal disputes between states and issues advisory opinions on questions referred to it by authorised UN bodies.
The court’s judges are elected independently by the General Assembly and Security Council and serve nine-year terms.
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