Dr Ohio Omiunu

Ohio Omiunu joined the Law School in 2016. He received his PhD from the University of Liverpool. Ohio's PhD thesis explored the evolving role of Nigerian sub-state governments in international economic interactions. Before that, Ohio completed his LLM with a distinction in International Business Law at the University of Hull. Ohio is also a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Ohio is interested in international economic law broadly conceived. Ohio engages with international economic law from an interdisciplinary perspective, dovetailing into issues of development, international relations and international political economy. Ohio has published on issues relating to the governance of the global economy, particularly the way that sub-national actors (especially constituent units in federal systems) and non-state actors enable or resist economic integration at a regional and global level.  

Institute for Law, Justice and Society (ILJS)

Books Under Contract:

O Omiunu and F Nganje, Subnational foreign relations in Africa: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Nigeria and South Africa (Routledge).

Book chapters 

O Omiunu, ‘How do host states respond to Investment Treaty Law?: Some empirical observations’ (with M Sattorova and M Erkan), in A Rasulov and J Haskell (Eds.)  International economic law: New voices, new perspectives, European Year Book of International Economic Law (Special issue), (Springer: 2020) 

O Omiunu, ‘The evolving role of sub-national actors in international economic relations: A case study of the Canada-European Union CETA’ in F Amtenbrink, D Prévost, and R Wessel (Eds.) Shifting forms and levels of cooperation in international economic law: Structural developments in trade, investment and financial regulation, Netherlands Year Book of International Law, Vol. 48, (T.M.C. Asser Press: Den Haag, 2017).

O Omiunu, ‘Trade and agriculture in Nigeria: An examination of deficiencies in Nigeria’s framework for international trade in agricultural commodities’ in R Ako and D Olawuyi, (Eds.) Food and agricultural law: Readings on sustainable agriculture and the law in Nigeria (Afe Babalola University Press: Ado Ekiti, 2015).

O Omiunu, 'Restrictions of vessels for domestic trade under the Nigerian Cabotage Act: Extent and scope' in E Azinge and O Eruaga (eds.) Cabotage law in Nigeria (Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies: Abuja, 2012).

Guest Edited Special Issue Publications

O Omiunu (with O Akinkugbe, A Vanni, R Simo and L Dirar) (eds.) 'Africa’s Participation in International Economic Law in the 21st Century' Manchester Journal of International Economic Law Volume 17 Issue 1 2020, ISSN 1742-3945.

O Omiunu (with F Nganje) (eds.) 'Contemporary expressions of the foreign relations of subnational governments in Africa' Regional & Federal Studies (Taylor & Francis) (forthcoming 2021).

Journal Articles

O Omiunu International Economic Law in the Global South and COVID-19 (with J Gathii, O Akinkugbe, T Adebola and N Mapefane) May 18, 2020. Afronomicslaw COVID-19 Symposium on International Economic Law in the Global South.

O Omiunu, 'Africa's Participation in International Economic Law in the 21st Century: An Introduction' (with O Akinkugbe, A Vanni, R Simo and L Dirar) Manchester Journal of International Economic Law, Vol. 17, Issue 1, 2020, pp 1-9.

O Omiunu, 'Sub-national involvement in Nigeria's Foreign Relations Law: An appraisal of the heterodoxy between theory and practice' (with I Aniyie), African Journal of International and Comparative Law (forthcoming).

O Omiunu, 'The evolution of foreign economic relations in Nigeria' (with I Aniyie), South African Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 25, Issue 3, 2018, pp. 365-392. 

O Omiunu, ‘The evolving role of sub-national actors in the mechanisms for international trade interactions: A comparative analysis of Belgium and Canada’, Global Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 6, Issue 2, 2017, pp. 105-137. 

O Omiunu, ‘Special and differential treatment (SDT) provisions and the participation of developing countries in international trade: A case for reform’, Nigerian Bar Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2013, pp. 43 – 70. 

Omiunu, 'Amnesty in the Niger Delta: Vertical movement towards self-determination or lateral policy shift?' (RT Ako), Journal of Sustainable Law and Policy, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 2013, pp. 86-99.

O Omiunu, ‘Regional trade agreements and the neo-colonialism of the United States of America and the European Union: A critique of the principle of competitive imperialism’ (with VP Gonzalo), Liverpool Law Review, Vol. 32, 2011, pp. 225–235.

Occasional papers, reports, book reviews, policy briefs, and think pieces

O Omiunu,(2020) City Reports on International Law: Lagos in focus Report prepared for the International Law Association Study Group on Role of Cities in International Law

O Omiunu, (2020) Asymmetries in trade and investment regimes in the Age of COVID-19 and beyond: A reflection on subnational government marginalisation and resistance within the trade and investment governance structures AfronomicsLaw

O Omiunu, (2020) Reflections on my methodological approach to researching International Economic Law AfronomicsLaw

O Omiunu, (2019) The role of sub-national governments in ‘localising’ the UN SDGs in Nigeria  in  symposium on Sustainable Development Goals, Trade, Investment, and Inequality co-hosted by AfronomicsLaw and Dalhousie Law Journal Blog.

O Omiunu, (2019) Diversification of the Nigerian economy as a de-carbonisation pathway: opportunities and challenges in symposium on Law and Policy, and the Promotion of Investment in the Renewable-Energy Sector AfronomicsLaw.

O Omiunu, (2019) ‘Mainstreaming social concerns into the AfCTA negotiation process’, AfronomicsLaw.

O Omiunu (2019) Revisiting Nigeria’s absence from the AfCFTA AfronomicsLaw.

O Omiunu, (2018) 'Nigeria must wake up to the changing role of state governments', The Conversation Africa.

O Omiunu, (2015) Economic relations between Australia and the European Union: Law and Policy (Book Review) International Trade Law and Regulation, Issue 4, 131-132.

O Omiunu and I Aniye, ‘E-banking and payment systems: A selective appraisal of the liability of financial institutions’ (2009) Knowledge Review, Vol. 18 No. 1, 116 – 121.

O Omiunu and others, ‘Information and communication technology and the Nigerian rules of evidence' (2008) the University of Benin Law Journal, Vol. 11, Issue 1 and 2, 83 – 93.

O Omiunu, ‘How do host states respond to Investment Treaty Law?: Some empirical observations’ (with M Sattorova and M Erkan), in A Rasulov and J Haskell (Eds.)  International economic law: New voices, new perspectives, European Year Book of International Economic Law (Special issue), (Springer: 2020) 

Omiunu, 'The evolution of foreign economic relations in Nigeria' (with I Aniyie), South African Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 25, Issue 3, 2018, pp. 365-392. 

O Omiunu, ‘The evolving role of sub-national actors in international economic relations: A case study of the Canada-European Union CETA’ in F Amtenbrink, D Prévost, and R Wessel (Eds.) Shifting forms and levels of cooperation in international economic law: Structural developments in trade, investment and financial regulation, Netherlands Year Book of International Law, Vol. 48, (T.M.C. Asser Press: Den Haag, 2017).

Ohio welcomes enquiries from those wishing to read for a PhD degree in any of the areas where he has research interests. These include:

• International Economic Law (Regional Integration, WTO Law, International Investment Law and Economic Development)
• Foreign Relations Law
• Comparative Federalism
• Global Governance
• Multilevel Governance
• African Union Law 

• Business Law (UK Domestic, Comparative International Perspectives)
• International Economic Law

LLB  (Hons.) (University of Benin);

LLM: International Business Law (University of Hull);

PhD: International Economic Law (University of Liverpool)

PGCLTHE:  Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (De Montfort University)

• Business Entities
• Company Law
• International Economic Law

• Member of De Montfort University's 2019 Future Research Leaders Cohort

• Winner of De Montfort University Business and Law Research Oscar for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Research (July 2019).

• Nominated by students as a finalist for the De Montfort University's Vice-Chancellor Distinguished Teaching Award (March 2019 and March 2020).

Secretary of Executive Committee for African International Economic Law Network

• Society of International Economic Law

• International Development and International Economic Law Network

• African International Economic Law Network

• Society of Socio-Legal Scholars UK.

• Society of Legal Scholars UK

• Nigerian Bar Association

• Symposium on COVID-19 and International Economic Law in the Global South, May, 2020 (see link)

 

1. ‘Social Dialogue’ and the Negotiation Process for the Next Generation of International Economic Agreements in the 21st Century’. Paper delivered at the International Economic Law (IEL) Collective Inaugural Conference at the University of Warwick, Coventry (November 2019)
2. ‘Shifting Forms of Cooperation in International Economic Relations: A focus on the Evolving Role of Non-central governments (NCGs) in the African Economic Integration Project’. Paper delivered at Commercial Law Research Network Nigeria (CLRNN) Conference, University of Reading, Reading (September 2019)
3. ‘FDI and a Greener Economy for Nigeria: Opportunities and Challenges’. Paper delivered at a seminar themed: ‘Decarbonisation pathways for Nigeria: promoting sustainable renewable energy-related foreign direct investment’, University of East Anglia, Norwich (July 2019).
4. 'The role of non-traditional actors (NTAs) in the design of international economic agreements in the 21st century', Paper delivered at the MC11 THINK TRACK WTO Conference: Thinking about a Global Trade Governance for the 21st Century: Challenges  and Opportunities on the Eve of the WTO´s 11th Ministerial Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Dec 2017).
5. ‘The evolving role of sub-national actors in international economic regulations: A case study of the Canada-EU CETA’, Paper delivered at 6th Conference of the Postgraduate and Early Professionals/Academics of the Society of International Economic Law (PEPA/SIEL), University of Tilburg, Tilburg, Netherlands (April 2017).
6. ‘Incoherence on the role of subnational actors in the evolving mechanisms for international trade interactions: A comparative analysis of Belgium and Canada’, Paper delivered at 5th Biennial Global Conference of the Society of International Economic Law, University of Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa (July 2016).
7. ‘Subnational foreign economic interactions in Nigeria’, Paper delivered at the University of Oxford Nigeria Research Day Conference, Oxford, UK (June 2016).

Juliana Nnadi, ‘Internal democracy of political parties and electoral outcomes: a comparative study of Nigeria and South Africa’ Expected completion date: July 2020 (1^st Supervisor). 

Yazan Maaitah, ‘The Extension of Arbitration Agreement to the Non-Signatory Third Parties in Construction Contracts.’ Expected completion date: July 2022 (1^st Supervisor). 

Awarded £405.40 BAL HEIF Covid-19 Research Support Funding to organise three international webinars in June/July (May 2020).

Awarded £3,000.00 GCRF Follow on Fund to consolidate network activities/projects from 2019 project titled: Sustainable development and the foreign relations of African non-central governments 

Awarded £13,274.00 pump-priming Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) as Principal Investigator for a project titled: Sustainable development and the foreign relations of African non-central governments (July 2019).

Selected in a competitive process for De Montfort University’s flagship research leadership scheme- The Future Research Leaders (FRL) programme. This scheme includes a £1500.00 funding award (Sep 2018).

Awarded £2,000.00 for 2nd best pitch in a De Montfort University Research Funding Competition to conduct a feasibility study on a project titled: Subnational foreign relations in Africa: comparative perspectives from Nigeria and South Africa (March 2018).

Awarded £1500.00 from De Montfort University’s Teaching Innovation Fund to conduct an empirical study focusing on ‘commercial awareness as an employability skill for law undergraduate students (Sep 2017).

Part of the cross-faculty research team - Centre for Research in Accountability, Governance & Sustainability (CRAGS) which was awarded £8,000.00 from DMU Research Investment Fund (July 2017).

• Awarded a De Montfort University UN SDG Global Research Fellowship (Sep 2019 – Jan 2020).
• Winner of De Montfort University Business and Law Research Oscar for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Research (July 2019).
• Nominated by students as a finalist for the De Montfort University Vice-Chancellor Distinguished Teaching Award (March 2019).
• Selected among 12 DMU researchers to participate in the VC’s Future Research Leaders Mentoring Scheme 2018/19 Cohort
• Selected among 12 DMU researchers to participate in the university’s Leading Researchers Mentoring Scheme 2017/18 Cohort
• Awarded a three year Graduate Teaching Assistant/PhD Scholarship by the School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool
• Invited by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment to participate in a technical committee meeting for the reformation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Laws in Nigeria (Oct, 2011)

• Deputy Director, Institute for Law, Justice and Society (ILJS)

• Editor, AfronomicsLaw blog (April 2020 - till present)