The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has commenced a three-day training workshop for journalists from member states to strengthen their capacity to report judicial proceedings, decisions and jurisprudence accurately.
The workshop, which began Wednesday, September 16, 2026, is being held at the seat of the Court in Abuja and will run until September 18.
Journalists from 12 ECOWAS member states are participating in the programme, including Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, The Gambia, Togo and host country, Nigeria.
The participants are drawn mainly from national broadcast media organisations.
The Court said the training is part of its Annual Cascade Workplan and aligns with the ECOWAS Court Strategic Plan 2026–2030, particularly Strategic Goal 4, which focuses on transparency, stakeholder engagement and strategic accountability.
It also supports Strategic Objective 4.2, aimed at strengthening platforms for regular engagement with stakeholders.
According to the Court, the programme is designed to address the critical role of the media in communicating judicial activities to the public.
It said accurate and responsible reporting of court proceedings enables citizens to understand the mandate of judicial institutions, their decisions and the implications of such decisions for individuals, member states and the wider region.
The training will equip participants with practical skills for reporting judicial proceedings accurately, objectively and responsibly.
The journalists will receive guidance on the mandate, jurisdiction, structure and procedures of the ECOWAS Court, as well as legal terminology relevant to regional justice.
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Particular emphasis will be placed on the use of official Court sources, verification of facts, fair presentation of parties’ arguments and accurate reporting of judicial reasoning and decisions.
Participants will also be trained to distinguish facts from opinions and interpretations, while avoiding bias, sensationalism, misinformation and disinformation in court reporting.
Journalists to report proceedings
A major component of the workshop will take place on Friday, September 18, when the participating journalists will observe and report on scheduled proceedings of the Court.
The practical session is expected to enable the journalists to apply the knowledge acquired during the training to real-time judicial reporting.
Officials of the ECOWAS Court, including representatives of the Registry and Research Departments, alongside experts in journalism and judicial reporting, will facilitate the workshop.
Beyond improving the reporting skills of individual journalists, the Court said the initiative seeks to establish a network of journalists across the ECOWAS region who regularly cover its activities.
The proposed network is expected to strengthen communication and collaboration between the Court and media organisations, facilitate wider dissemination of information about the Court’s work and promote public awareness of its mandate, jurisprudence and impact.
The Court said the initiative ultimately seeks to bring its work closer to citizens by strengthening the ability of journalists to communicate judicial information in a clear, factual and accessible manner.
President of the ECOWAS Court, Hon. Justice Ricardo Claudio Monteiro Gonçalves, said sustained engagement with the media would help deepen public understanding of the Court’s role within the regional bloc.
“Through sustained engagement with the media, the Court aims to deepen public understanding of its role as the principal judicial organ of ECOWAS and its contribution to the promotion of the rule of law and protection of human rights within the Community,” he said.
