Examining Nigeria’s Commitment to the International Criminal Court: A Response to Anya et al.

Abstract The International Criminal Court ( ICC ) plays a key role in ensuring accountability for crimes under international law. Supporting this critical mission of the Court is vital to its survival. Understanding this, Anya et al. in a recent paper examined the relationships existing between states and the ICC . They determine that states can have a relationship of either credible commitment to support the work of the Court or sham devotion. Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda, were studied and based on their analysis of selected data, the writers make predictions for each state’s future engagement with the Court. While the study is compelling, I argue that the predictions made in the end, particularly in relation to Nigeria, are based on flawed data. I attempt to contextualize some of their assertions, particularly regarding immunity, complementarity and jurisdiction. This article ultimately calls for a more nuanced approach to evaluating state behavior towards the ICC , emphasizing the importance of contextual factors beyond quantitative measurements.