Pedi Obani

Dr Pedi Obani has worked in the higher education sector since 2012, collaborating extensively with academics in Nigeria, South Africa, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, among others. She is experienced in leading both on-campus and distance learning programmes, as well as teaching a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules. Before starting her academic career, Pedi qualified as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and was active in private law practice.

Pedi's research interests revolve around inclusive development and sustainability, including the interactions between law and climate change, governance of water and other natural resources, and gender issues. She graduated with a distinction from the University of Aberdeen, and is a former NUFFIC Netherlands Fellowship Professional fellow. She obtained her PhD from the University of Amsterdam in 2018. Following this, between 2019 and 2020, she worked with the United Nations University – Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) as a research fellow in environmental policy. In this role, she developed and led a workstream on knowledge for quality natural resource governance, with particular focus on climate change-related stranded assets risks in Africa.

In the course of her academic career, Pedi has received several national and international research grants and awards, such as the Global Challenges Research Fund, Nigeria Tertiary Education Trust Fund, and the United Kingdom African Studies Association Mary Kingsley Zochonis Fellowship. She is an affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences. She also holds membership of professional associations, in addition to her active involvement in regional and international civil society networks. Her research and wider engagements have contributed to enhancing interdisciplinary collaborations and policy discourse among academics, technocrats, and practitioners, in connection with human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals on water and sanitation (SDG 6), energy security (SDG 7), climate action (SDG 13), gender equality (SDG 5) and quality education (SDG 4).