Research Student
Working toward a PhD in Laws, expected 2021
I am a legal practitioner with a Masters Degree in Oil and Gas Law from the University of Aberdeen. I am currently developing a career in academia as well as judicial/policy reform in extractive industries. I am a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), International Bar Association (IBA), Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN).
Prior to my research at CUHK, I have worked as a legal practitioner specialising in oil and gas regulation and contracting with particular reference to the contractual practices in the UK, Norway, Nigeria, Azerbaijan and Angola. I garnered experience in the interpretation, negotiation and construction of contract clauses at various stages of the contract cycle (from investment advisory and due diligence to decommissioning). My interests include: investment in the energy sector (host-state to investor trepidations), specifically regarding risk analysis; risk premium and other incentives; risk allocation/migration; issues concerning consequential loss; third party implication; dispute settlement as well as other investor-to-investor trepidations.
Thesis Topic
The Resource Curse and the Curse of Regulatory Transposition in Nigeria, co-supervised by Professors Christopher ROBERTS and Hao ZHANG.
Research Interests and Aims
- Oil and Gas Law
- Oil and Gas Regulation and Resource Governance
- International Criminal Law
- Resource Curse
- Transparency Coalition and Initiatives in Extractive Industries
- Hybrid and Internationalised National Criminal Tribunals
- Energy Law and Geopolitics
Considering the level of reprehensible activities associated with oil extraction in Nigeria, my thesis challenges the absence of criminal repression mechanism in resource governance. While acknowledging the far-reaching benefits of Nigeria’s regulatory strides in achieving greater transparency in the extractive industry, it is argued that accountability would only be attainable through the unwavering support of a completely independent judicial entity. Based on this premise, my thesis seeks to extract accountability through sector specific judicial reform. This reform is based on an examination of successful (and semi-successful) international judicial intervention over cases where domestic courts have been physically unable or lacked political will to prosecute certain levels of criminal activity by high ranking military or political leaders.
Papers Delivered
Seminars
- An Internationalised Solution to Nigeria’s Resource Paradox (Paper presented at the CUHK – Kyoto Joint Research Postgraduate Workshop, CUHK, March 2018).
Lectures
- European Union Law and the Quest for Transparency in the Extractive Industry (Guest lecture presented at The European Union Law Course for LL.M/JD students, Faculty of Law, CUHK, 2018).
- Transparency in Resource Governance: Global, Regional and National Perspectives (Guest Lecture at the Oil and Gas Law Course for LL.M/JD students, Faculty of Law, CUHK, 2018).
Experiences
- Teaching Assistant to Professor John Paterson, Visiting Professor (LAWS6412 Oil and Gas Law for LLM/JD students, October 2018).
- Teaching Assistant to Professor Angela Daly (LAWS6324 European Union Law for LLM/JD students, September 2018).
Education and Awards
- Master of Laws Degree in Oil and Gas Law, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom, 2015.
- Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria, 2009.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebele-onyeabo-18675754