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In the world of academia and international law, career milestones are often measured in decades. The trajectory of Professor Damilola Sunday Olawuyi, SAN, FCIArb, however, defies such conventional timelines. His is a narrative of extraordinary precocity, a career marked by a series of “youngest-ever” achievements that speak to a formidable intellect and an unwavering dedication to the intersecting fields of environmental law, energy, and human rights.
The statistics are, in themselves, striking: a professor of law by the age of 32; a deputy vice chancellor at 34; and elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by 37, placing him among the youngest academics ever to receive this honour. Yet, these accolades are merely the scaffolding for a profound and globally impactful body of work.
A Scholar with Global Reach and Local Roots
Professor Olawuyi’s influence extends across the world’s most respected institutions. He serves as a Professor and UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, a role that positions him at the forefront of legal research and policy development in the Middle East and North Africa. His scholarly contributions are equally international, with affiliations as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Institute for Energy Studies and visiting professorships at the University of Cambridge, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia Law School.
His practical expertise is applied as Senior Counsel with McNair International in Qatar, specialising in energy and extractive industry law, and was honed during his tenure as a lawyer with Norton Rose Fulbright in Canada.
Shaping Global Policy from a UN Mandate
A testament to his global standing is his appointment as an Independent Expert on the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights. In this capacity, he contributes to shaping the critical global discourse on corporate accountability and the human rights responsibilities of transnational corporations.
This international purview is balanced by a deep commitment to institutional development in Nigeria. He is the Chancellor’s Fellow and Director of the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (OGEES) at Afe Babalola University, where he also serves on the Governing Council. His dedication to national progress is further evidenced by his previous role as a Board Member of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
Building a Legacy of Sustainable Development
As the author of seminal works such as Environmental Law in Arab States, published by Oxford University Press, and through his leadership roles with the International Law Association, Professor Olawuyi is not merely participating in legal scholarship; he is actively constructing its future direction.
Professor Damilola S. Olawuyi embodies a rare synthesis of youthful dynamism and seasoned authority. His career offers a compelling blueprint for academic and professional excellence, demonstrating how profound scholarship, when coupled with strategic leadership and a commitment to practical impact, can build bridges between local imperatives and the most pressing challenges of our globalised world. He stands not just as a distinguished legal mind, but as a veritable architect of the legal frameworks that will underpin sustainable development for generations to come.
