Damilola Olawuyi (2010 - 2011)
Nigeria
Damilola, a lawyer and doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford, has an abiding interest in the role of law in environmental protection. His research explores the intersections between the environment and human rights under international law. Widely published, he is a sought-after speaker and consultant to several international organizations.
Originally from Osun State, Nigeria, Dami has lived in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. At Oxford, he holds the Clarendon Scholarship, UK’s Overseas Research Scholarship and the Doctoral Fellowship of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
He obtained his LL.B degree from Igbinedion University, Okada, Nigeria graduating in First Class Honors; he then earned a BL degree from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja, graduating in another First Class Honors. He holds a Masters degree in law (LL.M) from the Harvard Law School, another LL.M from the University of Calgary and a Diploma in International Environmental Law from the United Nations Institute for Research and Training (UNITAR), Geneva, Switzerland.
Damilola has practiced law in Nigeria and is the author of two books (see below) and several journal articles in the area of international environmental law. He has worked with the Environmental Law Program, UNITAR, and at Green Peace International, Washington, U.S.A. He currently works as a Consultant to several international organizations including the Youth Environmental Activists Network for Africa (YEANA), founded by Sauvé Scholar Alumna (2008-2009) Idowu Ajibade; the Development Law Associates in the USA; and the Environmental Lawyers Network. He is a member of the Legal Research Group of the Center for International Sustainable Development Law in Montreal. He has been a speaker at different high level international conferences on natural resources, energy and environmental law.
He is also a member of several professional societies including the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), International Law Association (ILA), Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR), American Society of International Law (ASIL), Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, West African Bar Association and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Damilola has received several national and international awards including the Sloane Robinson Award, the Alberta Law Foundation Scholarship, Harvard University Graduate Scholarship, and the Fellowship of the Canadian Institute of Resources Law.
As a Sauvé Scholar, Damilola will continue his doctoral research and begin to examine more closely the impacts of environmental concerns like climate change on the enjoyment of human rights. He is particularly interested in how climate change is affecting Canada’s aboriginal peoples in Northern communities and hopes to conduct interviews with Inuit community members to establish how climate change has affected indigenous communities in Canada. He will also try to examine how the linkages between environmental concerns and human rights enjoyment can be better recognized under international law. Specifically, he will consider how a human rights framework can be developed to balance the two paramount goals of international environmental law: the elimination of environmental harm or pollution which can affect natural habitats; and the elimination of environmental harm, discomfort or pollution which can affect human life.
Damilola’s hobbies include reading, watching and supporting his favorite soccer team (the Super Eagles), ice skating and camping. He is fluent in English and speaks basic French.
Links
OLAWUYI D.S, Legal Aspects of Implementing the Clean Development Mechanism (Lambert Academic Publishing, 2010) available at Amazon.com
OLAWUYI DS, Legal and Policy Issues on Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries (Lambert Academic Publishing, 2010) Available at Amazon.co.uk
Mother Tongue
English
Country of origin
Nigeria
Profession
Lawyer, environmental protection
