March 3, 2021.
The discipline of International law is fraught with a contested history. Scholarly inquiries from Global South scholars, particularly those of the Third World Approaches to International Law, (TWAIL), have revealed the biases, exclusion, colonial legacies and the privilege of Eurocentrism over ideas from the periphery. In this respect, there is a growing body of critical scholarship that seeks to provide a much broader and nuanced view of international law.
Significant scholarly debate has been dedicated to the interrogation of the role of Nigerian public international law intellectuals and jurists in the origins and development of the discipline of international law. The debate centers on the notion of the substantive contribution, or otherwise, of these public international law intellectuals and Nigerian elites to the development of international law. Despite the critical work of Global South scholars, centers, and institutions to demystify and re-center contemporary international law discourse, international law in Nigeria remains under researched.
To address this gap, we invite scholarly interventions, from established, mid-career, young faculty, doctoral candidates and practitioners to analyse Nigeria’s engagement with the scholarship and praxis of international law. In this respect, we invite contributions that analyze the following areas:
- The state of the teaching, research and practice of public international law, international human rights law, humanitarian law, and international economic law in Nigeria, including the specific challenges thereof;
- Capacity building issues in Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice particularly regarding legal drafting, negotiations and ideational pursuit of Nigeria's role as an international actor;
- Historical (pre and postcolonial) perspectives of actors that have shaped Nigeria's interaction with international law;
- The role of women in the articulation and implementation of Nigeria's international law pursuits;
- Nigeria's role in shaping pan-African ideals at the national, sub-regional, regional, continental and global levels;
- The role and place of the broad range of contemporary Nigerian scholars in the international law space;
- International law judgements in Nigerian courts as well as Nigeria in regional and international courts and tribunals;
- International environmental law, climate change, and sustainable development in Nigeria.
We also welcome contributions analyzing other areas relevant to the theme of this call.
Submission Guidelines
Essays that are submitted as part of this symposium must be analytical and original. Authors must comply with the Afronomicslaw.org blog submission guidelines accessible here. Blogs are to be submitted to afronomicslaw@gmail.com.
Deadline Extended: July 31, 2021
Edited Book Volume:
Selected authors will be invited to participate in an edited book project that is based on the theme of this call.
Inquiries or clarifications relating to this call should be directed to the conveners: Olabisi.akinkugbe@dal.ca; uowie@yorku.ca; and fagbabo@unisa.ac.za.