ECOWAS Court Dismisses SERAP's Suit on Nigeria's Borrowing

The ECOWAS court ruled on a case brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against Nigeria's public borrowing practices. The court, presided over by Justice Sengu Moham Koroma, with Justice Gberi B.

Ouattara and Justice Edward Amoako Asant as members, found that SERAP failed to provide adequate proof of its claims regarding the alleged violation of socio-economic rights due to Nigeria's excessive and unsustainable borrowing. The court acknowledged its jurisdiction under Article 9(4) of its protocol, which allows it to address human rights concerns related to state economic policies.

However, it concluded that the application primarily consisted of general economic grievances rather than specific human rights violations, which did not meet the evidentiary standards required. The court dismissed the application, stating that Nigeria's borrowing practices did not directly result in the violation of rights as claimed by SERAP.