Dr Eghosa Ekhator

About

I joined the University of Derby Law School in September 2019 from the University of Chester where I taught on numerous undergraduate and postgraduate modules. My main research areas are in international environmental law and natural resources governance. I received an LLB in Law from the University of Benin, and an LLM and PhD in Law from the University of Hull. I have also been called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Teaching responsibilities

Public International Law
Contemporary Issues in International Politics
Sustainable Development and International Business Law
Legal Scholarship
Independent Studies

Research interests

I am an expert on environmental rights/justice issues in developing countries (including Nigeria and the African Union). I have expertise in the following areas: Environmental Justice, Climate Justice and Climate Litigation, Environmental Law, African Union Law, Sustainable Development, International Trade Law, Private International Law in Africa and International Investment Law Issues in Africa amongst others.

Furthermore, I have published articles in diverse areas of law including International Commercial Law, Admiralty, International Business Law, Human Rights (especially Women’s Rights), Public Sector Management, Climate Justice and Climate Litigation, Environmental Management, Regulation of Natural Resources, and African Union Law amongst others.

My present research focuses on:

Intersections between Environmental Justice and Energy Justice
Environmental Justice in the Global South
Environmental Justice in the United Kingdom
Climate Justice and Climate Litigation in the Global South
Climate Change Governance
African Customary Law
African International Legal History
Human rights, taxation and sustainable development in the Global South

Membership of professional bodies

Society of Legal Scholars
International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR)
Nigerian Bar Association
Socio-Legal Studies Association
African Studies Centre University of Leiden
Global Network for the Study of Human Rights and Environment
International Law Association (Nigerian Branch)
Australian and New Zealand Law and History Society (ANZLHS)

Qualifications

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)
Master of Laws (LLM)
Bachelor of Law (BL)
PhD
Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Recent conferences

'International Environmental Governance: A Case for Sub-Regional Judiciaries in Africa' at the African Union Law Research Network Workshop (funded by the Arts and Humanities Council) June 30 2017, at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom
‘Sustainable Development and the African Union: An Appraisal' at the African Union Law Research Network Workshop (funded by the Arts and Humanities Council) December 8 2017, at the London School of Economics
‘African Solutions to African Problems’: The Malabo Protocol and regulation of Multinational Corporations in Africa’ A paper presented at the SLSA Annual Conference held 27-29 March 2018 at the University of Bristol, UK
‘Regulation of Multinational Corporations in Africa: Overview of the African Union’s Regulatory Framework’ International Law in Context Conference held 21-22 July 2018 at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK
‘Precolonial Legal System in Africa: Preliminary thoughts on Benin Kingdom’ African Studies Association of the UK (ASAUK) Biennial Conference, University of Birmingham 11-13 September 2018
‘Sustainable Development and the African Union: An Evaluation’ African Studies Association of the UK (ASAUK) Biennial Conference, University of Birmingham 11-13 September 2018.
Chisa Onyejekwe and Eghosa Ekhator ‘Evaluation of the African Continental Free Area as the New Lex Mercatoria: Preliminary Thoughts’ at the Normative Developments in International Law Conference at the Canterbury Christ Church University, UK on 24^th June 2019.
Eghosa Ekhator and Godswill Agbaitoro ‘Energy Law and Policy in Nigeria: Any role for the International Energy Charter?’ at the Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference (Central Lancashire University) on 3- 6 September 2019
‘Barriers to implementation of SDGs in Africa: the need for effective business and government collaboration’ at the Purdy Crawford Workshop: The Role of Business Regulation in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals at the Dalhousie University – Schulich School of Law, Canada on 26-28 September 2019
‘Environmental Justice and Contemporary Legal Issues in the UK: An emerging bottom-up approach?’ at the Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference (Virtual) on 1- 4 September 2020
Newman Richards and Eghosa Ekhator, ‘The continued relevance of customary arbitration in Nigeria: Implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment in Umeadu v Chibunze.’ A paper presented at the African Customary Law Conference (theme: ‘Customary Law in a Changing Africa) organised by the Centre for African Studies (CALS) UPSA Law School in collaboration with the Leitner Center for International Justice and the Fordham University School of Law on Thursday and Friday, 28 & 29 January 2021
Invited speaker at the Gesellschaft für Rechtsvergleichung (German Comparative Law Society) digital conference on the theme ‘Access – Lessons from Africa’ on October 1, 2021, at the University of Bayreuth, Germany.
Invited speaker, at the ‘International Day of Older Persons Celebration 2021 Theme: “Digital Equity for All Ages’ Monday 4 October 2021 organised by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities in Africa, and the Centre for Human Rights Study, University of Pretoria.
Invited speaker ‘Implementation of SDGs in Nigeria: The University as a Stakeholder’ at the Canterbury Christ University Sustainability in Higher Education (SHE) Network event, Wednesday 3 November 2021
Philip Oamen and Eghosa Ekhator ‘The impact of Covid-19 on the socio-economic rights of older persons in Africa: The urgency of operationalizing the Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons' this afternoon at the 'Conference: 40 years of THE African Charter on human and peoples’ rights honouring the memory of Christof Heyns' (University of Pretoria, South Africa) 2^nd July 2021. PANEL 3: Conference - 40 years of the African Charter - YouTube
Godswill Agbaitoro and Eghosa Ekhator, ‘Just Transition: Intersections and Interconnections with Human and Environmental Rights in Developing Countries’. A paper presented at the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS) Annual Conference held August 31- 3 September 2021 at the University of Durham.
‘The role of climate litigation in improving access to climate justice in Africa.’ A paper presented at the University of Nottingham and University of Derby Second Energy Workshop Research Exchange, Thursday 17 March 2022.
Pedi Obani and Eghosa Ekhator, ‘Transnational Litigation and Prospects for Climate Action in Developing Countries.’ A paper presented at the African Society of International Law 11th Annual Conference Africa and the Challenge of Climate Change Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence 28-29 October 2022, Cairo, Egypt.

Experience in industry

I regularly get invited to give talks at workshops and conferences inside and outside the UK. I have also been called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In the past, I have practised as a lawyer and legal consultant in Nigeria.

International experience

Senior Research Fellow (Environmental Law and Sustainable Development) at the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, Afe Babalola University Nigeria
Contributing Editor, AfronomicsLaw Blog. AfronomicsLaw is the leading blog for issues pertaining to international economic law from the Global South perspective
Associate Editor Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy
Mentor Afronomicslaw Academic Forum - The Afronomicslaw Academic Forum is a network of students and early-career researchers and practitioners interested in international economic law as it relates to Africa and the global South
Visiting Research Fellow Institute of Advanced Legal Studies London UK
Chair, Committee on Teaching International Law and SDGs, International Law Association (Nigerian Branch)

Additional interests and activities

Reviewer roles:

Reviewer, Commonwealth Law Bulletin, United Kingdom
Reviewer, Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy, Afe Babalola University, Nigeria
Reviewer, Journal of African Law
Reviewer Umẹwaẹn: Journal of Benin and Ẹdo Studies published with the support of the Department of History, State University of New York, Oswego, NY
Reviewer, Griffith Law Review
Reviewer, Southern African Public Law (published by University of South Africa)
Reviewer (Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal (published by North West University South Africa)
Member, Nigerian Bar Association Law Journal (Benin Branch) Editorial Committee
Reviewer, Journal of Comparative Law in Africa. Published by the Centre for Comparative Law in Africa, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town
Reviewer, Comparative Legal History

Funding

University of Chester Global Challenges grant (2017-2018 session) with Professor Servel Miller (Department of Geography and International Development, University of Chester) worth £3,062
University of Chester Global Challenges grant (2018-2019 session) with Professor Servel Miller worth £5,616 (I was the principal investigator in this project)
Society of Legal Scholars (SLS) Small Projects and Events Fund (May 2021) - £2,066.50 with Dr Chisa Onyejekwe (Canterbury Christ University) to organise a workshop, titled ‘Generating a future for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a post-COVID-19 Pandemic World’

Member of FACE’s Academic Advisory Group. The Forever Africa Conference and Events (FACE) is a Pan-African initiative brought together by staff and students at the University of Bristol. It has a goal-oriented, interdisciplinary, cross-sector, intergenerational, intercommunity, and intercontinental vision to dialogue for the purpose of bringing change to the Pan-African community through knowledge cooperation.

Coordinator External Collaboration and Engagement - African Natural Resources and Energy Law Network (ANRELN)

In the media

My academic papers have been cited by a plethora of organisations and international agencies including the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) ‘Responses to Information Requests (RIR) report (NGA106371.E) on Nigeria’ amongst others.

Eghosa has provided expert advice to African Governments and policymakers under the auspices of the African Commission Working Group on Rights of Older Persons and People with Disabilities in collaboration with the University of Pretoria, South Africa. This was during the one-day consultation Meeting on the ratification of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) and the Protocols to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Older Persons and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa which took place on 23^rd June 2022.

Our (Dr Eghosa Ekhator and Dr Doyin Babajide) written evidence to the United Kingdom Parliament's International Trade Committee's inquiry was cited in a letter sent to Kemi Badenoch, the Secretary of State for International Trade of United Kingdom by the Committee. https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/30488/documents/176710/default/?fbclid=IwAR1Bgp2pef2kKOvrTOyKTWa1RQHLr3_j9yfXBAYuBL6iagDbgCyA4AEPZZ4 7 November 2022

Dr Eghosa Ekhator and Dr Doyin Babajide written evidence to the United Kingdom Parliament's International Trade Committee's inquiry, UK trade approach towards developing countries has been accepted and published on the committee’s website - UK trade approach towards developing countries - Committees - UK Parliament March 2022.

Eghosa O. Ekhator ‘Real World Change: When Academic Research Informs Policy’ published by the University Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) 17 June 2022 UPEN - Blogs.

I was interviewed and cited by Taylor and Francis Publishing Group in a report titled ‘How can policy makers be globally inclusive when it comes to sustainability? 11 experts weigh in’ (November 2022). How Can Policy Makers be Globally Inclusive When it Comes to Sustainability? (taylorandfrancis.com)

Recent publications

‘Regulating the Activities of Oil Multinationals in Nigeria: A Case for Self-Regulation? (2016) 60 (1) Journal of African Law 1-28
‘Environmental Protection and the International Salvage Convention 1989: An Assessment’ (2016) 10 (1) Mizan Law Review 73-99
‘Regulating the activities of Multinational Corporations in Nigeria: A Case for the African Union?’ 2018 20(1) International Community Law Review 30-68
‘Protection and Promotion of Women’s Rights in Nigeria: Constraints and Prospects’ in Michael Addaney (ed) Women and Minority Rights Law: African Approaches and Perspectives to Inclusive Development (Eleven International Publishing, Netherlands 2019) pages 17-35
Eghosa Ekhator and Godswill Agbaitoro ‘Energy law and policy in Nigeria with reflection on the International Energy Charter and domestication of the African Charter' in Professor Jegede and Dr Romola Adeola (eds) Governance in Nigeria post-1999: Revisiting the democratic ‘new dawn’ of the Fourth Republic (Pretoria University Press 2020) pages 113-130
‘International Environmental Governance: A Case for Sub-regional Judiciaries in Africa’ in Michael Addaney and Ademola Jegede (eds) Human Rights and the Environment under African Union Law (Palgrave Macmillan 2020) pages 209-231
‘Editorial Comment’ Special Issue: The Role of Multinational Corporations in the actualization of the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa’ 11 (1) (2020) Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy
Chisa Onyejekwe and Eghosa Ekhator, ‘AfCFTA and Lex Mercatoria: Reconceptualising International Trade Law in Africa’ 47 (1) (2021) Commonwealth Law Bulletin 93-112
Eghosa O. Ekhator and Ibukun Iyiola-Omisore ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria: A Case for Legalised Framework’ in Eduardo Pereira, Rochelle Spencer, and Raphael Heffron (eds) Experiences of Managing Wealth, CSR and Local Content Policy: Sustainable Development of extractive resources industries (Springer International 2021) pages 439-458
Idahosa Osagie Ojo and Eghosa O. Ekhator, ‘Precolonial Legal System in Africa: An Assessment of Indigenous Laws of Benin Kingdom before 1897’. 5 (2020) Umewaen: Journal of Benin and Edo Studies 38-73
Collins Ajibo, Matthew Nwankwo and Eghosa Ekhator, ‘Regional Economic Communities as building blocs of the African Continental Free Trade Area’ 4 (2021) Transnational Dispute Management (TDM) Special Issue on the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement 1-15
'Sustainable Development and the African Union Legal Order' in Olufemi Amao, Michele Olivier and Konstantinos D. Magliveras (eds.) The Emergent African Union Law: Conceptualization, Delimitation, and Application (Oxford University Press 2021) pages 335-358
Eghosa O. Ekhator, Servel Miller and Etinosa Igbinosa (eds.) Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria: Barriers, Prospects and Strategies (Routledge 2021)
Philip E. Oamen & Eghosa O. Ekhator ‘The impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic rights of older persons in Africa: The urgency of operationalising the Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons’ (2021) 21(2) African Human Rights Law Journal 782-811
Eduardo G. Pereira, Clyon Liaw, Eghosa O. Ekhator et al, ‘Fossil fuel and the Global Energy Transition: Regulation and Standardisation as panacea for a more Sustainable World Energy Order’ (2022) 8 (5) Brazilian Journal of Development 39838-39865
Eghosa O. Ekhator, ‘Multinational Corporations, Accountability and Environmental Justice: The move towards sub regional litigation in Africa’ (2022) 121 (02) German Journal of Comparative Law (Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Rechtswissenschaft) 118-130
Osamuyimen Enabulele & Eghosa O. Ekhator, ‘Improving Environmental Protection in Nigeria: A Reassessment of the Role of Informal Institutions’ (2022) 13 (1) Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy 162- 199
Eghosa Ekhator, Chisa Onyejekwe, and Newman Richards, ‘Human Rights and Taxation in Developing Countries: A Case for Tax Justice and Accountability in Africa’ forthcoming in Damilola Olawuyi and Oyeniyi Abe (eds.) Business and Human Rights Law in Africa (Edward Elgar, September 2022)
Eghosa O. Ekhator and Pedi Obani, ‘Women and Environmental Justice Issues in Nigeria: An Evaluation’ in Jarpa Dawuni (ed) Intersectionality and Women’s Access to Justice (Lexington Books 2022)
Eghosa Ekhator and Edward Okumagba, 'Climate Change, Multinationals and Human Rights in Nigeria: A Case for Climate Justice.' Forthcoming in Kim Bouwer, Uzuazo Etemire, Tracy-Lynn Field and Ademola Oluborode Jegede (eds) In Pursuit of Climate Justice in Africa (Submitted to Bristol University Press, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4320843