Nigerian-British international professor of law, Dapo Akande, has been elected a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
His election as a Judge adds to his distinguished career in international law, academia and dispute resolution.
Prof. Akande is the Chichele Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford, a Fellow of All Souls College and a member of the United Nations International Law Commission.
He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1992 from the University of Ife, and qualified as a barrister and solicitor in Nigeria in 1993.
Prof. Akande subsequently built an international career spanning legal scholarship, practice and international dispute resolution, advising governments and international organisations and appearing before several international courts and tribunals.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, congratulated President Tinubu on the development, describing it as a major milestone in the country’s pursuit of greater influence and representation within the United Nations system.
According to him, the successful election of Akande, a professor, to the world court, Nigeria’s remaining major diplomatic objective is securing membership of the United Nations Security Council.
He said Nigeria’s continued pursuit of a permanent seat on the Security Council remains central to its ambition of attaining what he described as a “100 per cent achievement” of its United Nations objectives.
