UK Says It Will Nominate Nigerian-Born Dapo Akande For Election To ICJ

The United Kingdom (UK) has announced its intention to nominate Dapo Akande, a professor of public international law at the University of Oxford, for election as a judge to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In a statement, Joanna Roper, the UK ambassador to the Netherlands and representative to the ICJ, mentioned that Akande will be nominated in 2026.

“The UK is delighted to confirm that Professor Dapo Akande will be put forward for election as a judge to the International Court of Justice by the UK National Group in 2026,” the statement said.

Roper described Akande as an “exceptional” international lawyer, noting that he will bring vast legal knowledge and experience to the ICJ.

She said Akande reflects the UK’s “firm commitment to international justice, human rights, and the international rule of law”.

In November 2021, Akande was elected to the UN International Law Commission (ILC). He was co-nominated by the UK, Nigeria, Japan, Kenya, and Slovenia.

The ILC is a body of experts responsible for developing and codifying international law.

Akande was born and raised in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. He received his LLB at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

He is a renowned expert in public international law with more than 25 years of legal experience.

Akande started his legal career as a research assistant to Bola Ajibola (KBE SAN), a former attorney-general of Nigeria.

He has also worked as a counsel on international litigation before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).