51cg

Biography

Dr Titilayo Adebola is an interdisciplinary international economic law and international intellectual property law scholar with specialist interests in food, agricultural innovation, environment, entertainment/creative industries, artificial intelligence/emerging technologies and health. Dr Adebola has advised intergovernmental organisations, regional institutions, national governments and private sector actors on matters related to her specialisations. Her international engagements span Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and North America, where she has delivered keynote addresses and lectures, and convened and participated in high-level events.

Dr Adebola is an Editor of Afronomicslaw.org and the Founding Editor of Flora IP. She serves on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of International Economic Law and the Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa. She is also the Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the African International Economic Law Network and a Collaborator on Open African Innovation Research. She served as a Senior Advisor to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food from 2020 to 2026 and Member of the Advisory Board of the UN Tourism Best Tourism Villages Initiative in 2025.

Dr Adebola is currently a Research Fellow at the African Export-Import Bank (January 2026 to January 2027). She was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre, University of Oxford from May to July 2023 and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Canada in January 2019. Before joining the UoA, she taught at the University of Warwick. She is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Chartered Secretary and Administrator, Nigeria and Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA).

Qualifications

• PhD. University of Warwick
• LLM. University of Warwick
• BL. Nigerian Law School
• LLB. Olabisi Onabanjo University

Research Overview

Dr Adebola's interdisciplinary research employs critical, contextual, empirical and theoretical approaches to explore issues in her specialist fields of international economic law and international intellectual property law. Her research often centres the power of law to effect social, economic and political changes, especially for marginalised constituencies. Dr Adebola has participated in high-level meetings involving institutions relevant to her specialist interests including the World Intellectual Property Organisation, World Trade Organisation, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants and United Nations.

Dr Adebola welcomes considered PhD proposals from applicants with interests in her research specialisations.

Current Research

• International Intellectual Property Law
• Geographical Indications
• Plant Variety Protection
• Traditional Knowledge
• Health and Medicines
• Food and Agricultural Law
• Artificial Intelligence
• New/Emerging Technologies
• Creative Industries

Knowledge Exchange

Keynote Address

Dr Titilayo Adebola delivered the Keynote Address at the . World Intellectual Property Organization, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. May 2025.

Selected Presentations, Capacity Building, Trainings and Masterclasses

1. 'The Political Economy of Intellectual Property in Africa’s Entertainment Industry' 44th International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP) Congress. University of Sao Paulo Law School, Brazil, 28 June – 1 July 2026.
2. 'Access and Benefit Sharing in the Age of Digital Sequence Information: Nigeria's Emerging Legal and Policy Architecture' 1st African Congress on Digital Sequence Information, Infrastructure Development and Policy. African BioGeenome Project. University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria, 4-5 May 2026.
3. 'Opportunities for Cooperation, Collaboration, and Partnerships to Strengthen the Implementation of Farmers’ Rights' Second Global Symposium on Farmers Rights', Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the United Nations and the Government of the Philippines. Manila, Philippines, 16 – 19 September 2025.
4. 'Role of Lawyers in the Debt Debate' Masterclass for the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), 30 January 2025.
5. 'Beyond Colonial Pedagogy: Third World Approaches to International Law Insights on Decolonising the Curriculum' University of Bradford School of Law, Bradford, 5 December 2024.
6. 'Open Science and Data Sharing in Africa: Policy and Legal Frameworks' Scotland - Africa: Enhancing Academic Partnerships, Royal Society of Edinburgh, 12 November 2024.
7. 'Globalised Strategies for Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights' Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX) Algiers, Algeria, 17 October 2024.
8. 'Advancing Inclusive Plant Variety Protection Systems' The 6th Lex Proficia: Triple Planetary Crisis and Humanitarian Crisis, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia, 5 June 2024.
9. 'Toward TK/TCEs and Genetic Resources Subsidiary Protocol for the AfCFTA: Positioning TK for Inclusive and Sustainable Innovation in Africa' Transform Africa: Innovating Our Shift Toward Sustainability University of Johannesburg South Africa/Open African Innovation, 26 -29 February 2024.
10. 'Legal and Other Measures Supporting the Realisation of Farmers Rights' Global Symposium on Farmers Rights” Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the United Nations and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. New Delhi, India, 12 – 15 September 2023.
11. 'The Global Governance of Food' School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, 31 March 2023.
12. 'Closing the Gender Gap in Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa' Side Event to the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Organised by the Permanent Missions of Malawi and Nigeria to United Nations, ITU and Renew Our Earth Inc, United Nations Headquarters, New York, 16 March 2023.
13. 'The Prospects for Electoral Democracy in 2023: Africa’s Elections, Courts and Rise of Authoritarianism' American Society of International Law Global Engagement Series, 10 March 2023.
14. 'Roundtable on Nigeria’s Creative Industries Development Bill' 51cg, 22 February 2023.
15. 'Intellectual Property Masterclass' Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX) Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, 25 – 27 November 2022.

Selected Blogposts

1. Adebola T and Gathii J (Symposium Conveners) Introduction: 'Seed Sovereignty at Stake: Symposium on the Wathome & 14 Others v Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service and Another; Greenpeace Environmental Kenya & 2 Others Case' Afronomicslaw (March 2026).
2. Adebola T, 'Farmers Rights in Africa: An Interview with Andrew Mushita'  Flora IP, 23 January 2025.
3. Adebola T, 'Roundtable on Nigeria’s Creative Industries Development Bill' 51cg, School of Law Blog (March 2023).
4. Adebola T, 'World Food Day 2022: In Conversation with Dr Kent Nnadozie. Secretary, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture' Flora IP/51cg, School of Law Blog (October 2022).
5. Adebola T, 'The Lake Chad Basin Region: Conflicts, Crises and Contemporary Development' Flora IP/51cg, School of Law Blog (August 2022).
6. Adebola T and Curtis N, 'The Repatriation of Benin Bronze and Decolonisation of Museums: Views from the 51cg' Afronomicslaw/ 51cg, School of Law Blog (November 2021).
7. Adebola T and Fagbayibo B, 'The Repatriation of Benin Bronzes: Analysing the Intersections of Arts, Culture and the Law' Afronomicslaw (November 2021).
8. Adebola T and Sodipo B, 'The Return of Looted Benin Bronzes: Art, History and the Law.' Afronomicslaw/51cg, School of Law Blog (October 2021).
9. Gathii J, Vanni A and Adebola T, 'South Africa and India’s Leadership on the Waiver of IP Protections on COVID-19 Vaccines' Afronomicslaw (6 May 2021).
10. Adebola T and Wifa E, 'Triumph for Farmers and Fisherfolks: The Hague Court of Appeal finds Shell Liable for Oil Spills in Nigeria' Flora IP/51cg, School of Law Blog (1 February 2021).
11. Adebola T, 'In Conversation with Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.' Afronomicslaw Indaba (December 2020).
12. Gathii J and Adebola T, 'World Environment Day 2020: A Brief Reflection on International Economic Law and International Environmental Law from A TWAIL/Global South Perspective.' Afronomicslaw (05 June 2020).
13. Adebola T and Gathii J, 'The Role of Multilateral Actors in Promoting Equitable Access to Medicines, Vaccines and Therapeutics: A Global South Perspective' Afronomicslaw (29 June 2020).
14. Adebola T, 'Can the Subaltern Speak? Nigeria’s Untoward Path to UPOV.' Afronomicslaw (10 April 2020).
15. Brown A, Catherine Ng and Adebola T, 'Intellectual Property Rights, the Public Interest and COVID-19.' 51cg, School of Law Blog (07 April 2020).

Teaching Responsibilities

• LS502L International Intellectual Property
• LS553Y International Food Law
• LS502P Copyright and Patents
• LS554A International Cybersecurity Law
• LS/LX452L Internatonal Cybersecurity Law
• LS/LX451K Copyright and Allied Rights
• SX3002 Science and Society
• LS2031 The Law of Property