Dr Ohio Omiunu

Ohio joined the Law School in February 2016. He received his PhD in Law from the University of Liverpool in 2015. Before that, he completed his LLM in International Business Law at the University of Hull in 2010. Ohio's research interests cut across disciplines such as international economic law, foreign relations law, comparative constitutional law, and comparative federal studies.

Ohio has published extensively on topics 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 regional and global level. Ohio is also conducting research on the relationship between IEL and the implementation of the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs).

Institute for Evidence-Based Law Reform

Books

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

Book chapters in peer-reviewed edited books

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).

Articles in peer-reviewed academic journals

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, book reviews, policy briefs, and think pieces

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

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

• Co-guest editor (with Dr Fritz Nganje, University of Johannesburg) for a special issue                          publication with Regional and Federal Studies Journal (Taylor & Francis)
• Co-guest editor for special issue publication of the 4^th biennial conference proceedings of the  African  International Economic Law (AfIELN) with the Manchester Journal of International Economic Law
• Under contract with Routledge to co-author (with Dr Fritz Nganje, University of Johannesburg) a    research monograph titled: Subnational foreign relations in Africa: An interdisciplinary analysis of  Nigeria and South Africa.

 

 

O Omiunu, ‘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)

O Omiunu, ‘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)

O Omiunu, ‘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).

O Omiunu, '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).

O Omiunu, ‘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).

O  Omiunu,  ‘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).

O Omiunu, ‘Sub-national 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 a De Montfort University UN SDG Global Research Fellowship (Sep 2019 –           Jan 2020).

• 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)

• Programme Leader LLM International Business Law Full Time
• Module Leader Company Law (Level 7)
• Convenor, Governance and Regulation in the Global South (GRiGS) research cluster (Sep 2018 – till present).
• Member, Business and Law Faculty Equality and Diversity Committee (Sep 2018 – till present).
• Member, Business and Law Faculty Research Conference Planning Committee (Aug – Sep 2018).

 

 

•  Editor, AfIELN Newsletter (July 2018 – till present)
•  Executive Secretary, African International Economic Law Network (AfIELN) (July 2018 - till present)
• Member, Conference Planning Committee for AfIELN’s 4^th Biennial Conference Kenya (July 2018 - July 2019)
• Contributing Editor, AfronomicsLaw blog Jan 2019 - till present)
• Chairman, the panel on International Economic Law and Sustainable Development in Africa  at  AfIELN’s 4^th biennial conference themed: ‘Africa’s participation in International        Economic Law in the 21^st century’, Strathmore University, Nairobi Kenya (July 2019)