Nigeria and the International Criminal Court: Sovereignty, Accountability, and the Politics of International Justice

This study examines Nigeria's relationship with the International Criminal Court (ICC), assessing its record of cooperation, the domestic politics of accountability, and the broader tensions between state sovereignty and international criminal justice. Nigeria ratified the Rome Statute in 2001 and has maintained formal ICC membership, yet no ICC investigation has been formally opened into alleged crimes committed in Nigeria's various armed conflicts, including military operations against Boko Haram and violent farmer-herder conflicts in the North Central zone. Drawing on constructivist theory and the politics of international justice, this research analyses Nigeria's engagement with the ICC from 2019 to 2024, including its responses to preliminary examinations and its domestic prosecution of conflict-related crimes. The study employs a qualitative methodology, drawing on ICC Office of the Prosecutor reports, Nigerian government statements, National Human Rights Commission documents, and academic literature. The research pays attention to comparative cases of ICC engagement in other African states to contextualise Nigeria's posture. Findings are expected to show that Nigeria navigates ICC engagement strategically, maintaining formal cooperation while resisting accountability processes that might implicate senior military or political actors. Recommendations address domestic legislative reforms to strengthen complementarity with ICC obligations. Keywords: International Criminal Court, Nigeria, sovereignty, accountability, international justice.