Opeyemi A. Gbadegesin

Dr. Opeyemi A. Gbadegesin is a Lecturer in the Department of Public Law at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His research examines environmental law and governance, climate change law, natural resource regulation, and the relationship between Indigenous ecological knowledge and legal systems. His work also addresses human rights, sustainable development, and the regulation of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. He has published extensively on environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, climate governance, and natural resource management, with a particular focus on Nigeria and broader African contexts. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Ibadan and is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers.

My scholarship examines how African legal systems govern climate change, biodiversity, and natural-resource use, particularly where statutory institutions interact with Indigenous knowledge, customary authority, and community livelihoods. My central concern is not simply whether environmental rules exist, but whether they create clear duties, meaningful participation, institutional accountability, and accessible remedies for those most affected by environmental harm.

My earlier research examined Nigerian laws governing water, forests, wildlife, pollution, and natural-resource utilisation. It has developed into an interdisciplinary agenda encompassing legal pluralism, environmental justice, climate vulnerability, and technology-assisted regulation. My publications address Indigenous principles, biodiversity legislation, REDD+, gender and climate policymaking, climate-induced displacement, children’s rights, energy poverty, greenwashing, and artificial intelligence in wildlife and forest-law enforcement. Across these subjects, I ask whose knowledge is recognised, who participates in environmental decision-making, and whether regulatory systems distribute environmental benefits and burdens fairly.

I have published 23 peer-reviewed journal articles in reputable outlets, including the Journal of African Law, Environmental Management, Climate Law, the International Journal of Children’s Rights, and the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. My career has benefited greatly from the Africa Oxford Initiative Fellowship (2025–2026) and the Ife Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) Summer Institute Fellowship (2025). These experiences have strengthened my commitment to Africa-centered scholarship that connects doctrinal analysis with institutional design and lived experience.

During the KASC Virtual Affiliate Program, I propose to advance my current project, “Law, Lore, and the Timber Trade: Legal Pluralism, Human Rights, and Sustainable Forestry Governance in Nigeria.” The project examines why Nigeria’s statutory-customary framework frequently fails to secure participation, equity, and accountability in forest governance. It uses a structured comparison with Indonesia’s adat-forest and social-forestry reforms to identify legal mechanisms that may illuminate Nigerian reform, including tenure recognition, mapped-rights procedures, consent requirements, administrative duties, and accessible review. The comparison is not intended to import foreign solutions uncritically. Rather, it tests which institutional choices can be adapted to Nigeria’s context.

KASC’s interdisciplinary orientation and commitment to African-centered inquiry make it the right place to pursue this work. KU Libraries would broaden my access to African studies, environmental law, and comparative-governance materials directly relevant to the project. I hope to collaborate with Professor Uma Outka of the KU School of Law on environmental justice and accountable regulatory design, as well as Professor Stacey Vanderhurst on Nigerian public policy and the relationship between state institutions and lived experience.

During the fellowship, I will complete an article for journal submission, prepare a book prospectus extending the inquiry to selected African jurisdictions, and present my findings at the virtual symposium. These focused outputs would contribute an African legal perspective to KASC while establishing a realistic foundation for continued interdisciplinary collaboration.