AWARDS

• University of Toronto-Warwick University Global Health and Human Rights Training Program. $CAD6000 for three-week practicum at the University of Warwick.

• Selection as Co-investigator for a subsection of the “Post-pandemic recovery and the regulation of innovation”, covering Technology transfer in the global south. $CAD10,000.

• Post Doctoral Research Fellowship award at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health Black Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. $CAD 85,000 yearly for 2 years.

• Post Doctoral Research Fellowship award, National Research Fund/South African Research Chair: Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development, Department of Commercial Law, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town. R220,000/$CAD 17,500 per annum for 2 years.

• The Future Africa Research Leader Fellowship, University of Pretoria and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, America. $USD 10,000 yearly for 2 years.

• National Science Foundation (NSF)/Law and Society Association (LSA) award for participation in the International Research Collaboration on Mapping African Law and Society (competitive selection covering travel costs for the Global Meeting on Law and Society in Lisbon, Portugal, 2022).  

• National Research Foundation Doctoral Scholarship (competitive selection under the NRF Chair in Security and Justice) R100,000/$CAD 8,500 per annum for 3 years. 

• Faculty of Law Doctoral Scholarship, University of Cape Town (awarded to top performing doctoral candidates) R25,000/ $CAD 2,200 one-off.  

• Faculty of Law, Doctoral Completion Grant, University of Cape Town. R25,000/ $CAD 2,200 one-off. 

• Harvard Institute for Global Law and Policy Thailand Workshop (competitive selection including a grant to attend the IGLP Workshop, held in Thailand). 

• Law and Society Association Graduate Student Workshop (competitive selection including a grant for travel to the Annual Meeting in the USA). 

• Centre for Law and Society and Law and Society Association Graduate Student workshop (competitive selection, including a grant to travel to Egypt for the biannual meeting). 

GRANTS

• Co applicant: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) application for “Strengthening Community Based Research (CBR) Capacity to Reduce Health and Social Inequities among African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) Immigrants living with HIV: The NewHITES Team” (application submitted but not granted).

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• Post Doctoral Fellow, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto (January 2024 to date)

• Open Air Network Post-Doctoral Researcher (June 2023 to date)

• Post Doctoral Fellow, South African Research Chair: Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development, Department of Commercial Law, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town (January 2022 - December 2023).

• Research Fellow, Centre for Law and Society (CLS), Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, South Africa. (July 2020 - December 2021).

• Co-Convener and Lecturer, Law and Society in Africa Course in the interdisciplinary LLM/MPhil Programme, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, South Africa (February 2019 - March 2020). 

• Junior Faculty Member, Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria (October 2018 – April 2019). 

• Program Convener of the Law in Africa Seminar Series at the Centre for Law and Society (CLS), Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, South Africa (August 2017 – March 2020).

• Research Assistant, Democratic Governance Research Unit, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, South Africa (March 2016 – June 2017).

• Lecturer, Centre for Law and Business, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria (November 2015 - January 2016). 

• Graduate Assistant, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria (October 2011 - February 2013).

TEACHING ACTIVITY 

• Guest Lecturer, Global Health Law in International Law. Undergraduate course at the Department of Political Science, University of Toronto, Mississauga campus. “The role of State and non-state actors in realizing health rights in the context of a fractured global health governance system”, (Winter Semester, 2025).

• Guest Lecturer, International Human Rights Law and Global Health: The Right to Health in Theory and Practice, master’s level course at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. 

• “An introduction to the right to health and its normative basis in international law”, (Winter Semester, 2025).

• Guest Lecturer, International Human Rights Law and Global Health: The Right to Health in Theory and Practice, master’s level course at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. 

• “Litigating the right to health in Nigeria”, (Winter Semester, 2024).

• Guest Lecturer, International Human Rights Law and Global Health: The Right to Health in Theory and Practice, master’s level course at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. 

• “The right to health in the context of humanitarian crises”, (Winter Semester, 2024).

• Guest Lecturer, Global Health Law in International Law. Undergraduate course at the Department of Political Science, University of Toronto, Mississauga campus. “The role of the WHO in global health governance”, (Winter Semester, 2024).

• Guest Lecturer, Applying the right based approach in achieving health related SDGs, interdisciplinary master’s level course at Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University. “Health rights litigation as a pathway to applying the right to health in low-income country contexts” (May 2024).

• Guest Lecturer, Applying the right based approach in achieving health related SDGs, interdisciplinary master’s level course at Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University. “The pandemic treaty and the promise of equitable global health governance” (May 2024).

• Convener and Primary Instructor, Legal writing and methodology training for postgraduate students in the Department of Commercial Law, Intellectual Property Unit, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, South Africa (February 2022-December 2023)

• Guest lecturer for the Public Health and Human Rights course in the master’s in public health (MPH) Programme, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa “Introduction to the right to health in international law” (October 2019).  

• Convener and Facilitator, Research writing and methodology for doctoral candidates in the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, South Africa (February 2018-December 2020)

• Guest lecturer, Law and Society in Africa Course in the interdisciplinary LLM/MPhil Programme, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, South Africa (February 2018)

• Guest Lecturer, Sexual Offences and the Law course, LLM/MPhil Programme, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, South Africa (February 2017)

ACADEMIC ACTIVITY AND SERVICE

• Peer Reviewer, International Journal of Law in Contexts (Feb 2025).

• External Examiner, Public Health and Human Rights course in the master’s in public health (MPH) Programme, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa, (November 2024).

• External dissertation examiner for thesis on the right to health, Universal Health Coverage and National Insurance in South Africa, in fulfilment of the degree of master’s in law, Faculty of Law, Witwatersrand University (March 2024).

• Peer Reviewer, Nordic Journal of Human Rights (Feb 2024).

• Secretary and Researcher, Research and Implementation Research Group of the Law and Society Association (Africa Collaborative Research Network (CRN)) on the Formulation of a Repository and Readers on Law and Society in Africa (May 2021 to date).

• Co- Supervisor, “Youth in conflict with the Law: a case study of critical issues that arise in sentencing Youth who are on the verge of adulthood”, MPhil dissertation, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town (2021-2022). 

• Project Lead and Convener of the Law in Africa Seminar Series for the Centre for Law and Society, (CLS), Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa (August 2017-December 2019).

• Secretary of the Departmental Committee, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria (June 2012 -February 2013).

• Member., Exams and Invigilation Committee, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria (June 2012 -February 2013).

PROFESSIONAL LEGAL EXPERIENCE

• Consultant and advisor to the Diocesan committee on health tasked with HIV and gender-based violence (GBV) awareness and support. Providing expert opinions to the committee on effective interventions for addressing HIV prevention and equipping clergy with tools to provide support to parishioners living with HIV/AIDS, as well as GBV training, intervention and support. Advisory on health insurance coverage for Anglican Clergy of Lagos West Diocese, Lagos, Nigeria. (Pro bono) 2021-2023. 

• Executive Legal Assistant to the Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Anti-corruption and Law Reform in Nigeria. Reviewed all administration of justice related laws in Nigeria for the committee to make recommendations to the presidency on access to justice reform (July 2015-October 2015). 

• Judicial Clerkship at the Supreme Court of Appeal of Malawi. Conducted research and wrote legal opinions for the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court and other Supreme Court justices for their judgements on cases involving human rights, gender-based violence, separation of powers and the surveillance powers of the State (June 2014 – August 2014). 

• Associate, Fagbohungbe & Co, Marina, Lagos, Nigeria. Worked on labour law disputes, commercial transactions and land disputes, appeared in various superior State and Federal courts and appellate courts (January 2010 - September 2011).

• Candidate Lawyer on attachment, Babalakin & Co, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. Conducted case reviews, and legal research for lawyers on various labour law and commercial transaction matters to be argued in court (June 2010 - September 2010).

PUBLICATIONS AND ACADEMIC WORK 

DISSERTATIONS

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Medical negligence litigation as a mechanism for understanding gaps in health system responsiveness in the South African Public health system.” Master’s thesis in part fulfillment of the master’s in public health, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 2023.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The Right to Health as a Claim on Dignity: Implications for State Accountability in Nigeria.” Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 2021.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Providing an effective legal framework for the protection of people living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria.” master’s thesis, in part fulfilment of master’s in law, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 2014.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Gas as an alternative energy source in Nigeria; a legal and practical approach.” Undergraduate final year thesis, University of Lagos, Nigeria. 2009.

PEER REVIEWED BOOK CHAPTERS

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The challenges and potential of artificial intelligence interventions in weak public-health systems in Africa.” In C Ncube, D Oriakhogba. I Rutenberg and T Schonwetter, eds. Artificial Intelligence and the Law in Africa, LexisNexis, 2023.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “‘She Told Me to Stop Making a Fuss’: Undignified Treatment, Medical Negligence Claims, and Desires for Apology.” In Judge, Melanie, and Dee Smythe, eds. Unsettling Apologies: Critical Writings on Apology from South Africa. Policy Press, 2022.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, and Dee Smythe. “Bastions of Hope”: The Democratic Potential of a Willing Judiciary in Progressive Socio-Economic Rights Litigation in South Africa and Nigeria.” In Promoting Efficiency in Jurisprudence and Constitutional Development in Africa, pp. 77-93. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022.

• Buosi, Ana Paula Assis, Deepa Paturkar, Eduardo Rocha Dias, Maria João Estorninho, Omowamiwa Kolawole, Ravindra Ghooi, and Salona Lutchman.  “The Rights of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in the World: Legal Perspectives and Challenges in Brazil, India, Portugal, South Africa, and Nigeria.” In Nephrology and Public Health Worldwide, vol. 199, pp. 322-338. Karger Publishers, 2021. 

• Omowamiwa Kolawole and Rufaro Gweshe. Chapter 6, Section 11: Engaging sexual services of persons 18 years or older in Smythe, Dee, and Bronwyn Pithey, eds. Sexual Offences Commentary Act 32 of 2007. Juta, 2014. The leading commentary on sexual offences in South Africa, consulted by judges, prosecutors and lawyers.

PUBLISHED PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, and Caroline B. Ncube. "Rethinking Ownership, Power and Policy in Drug Patents: The Case for an Ubuntu-Infused Approach." Journal of African Law (2024): 1-14.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Non-compliant health record-keeping in South Africa: Judicial responses, and progress towards a digital remedy”, The African Journal of Information and Communication (2024)33: 1-19, https://doi.org/10.23962/ajic.i33.18892

EDITED COLLECTIONS

• Lisa Forman and Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Pathways towards vaccine justice in a post-Covid world”, Guest advisor for the Global Public Health Journal, (2024).

ACCEPTED PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES

• Lisa Forman, Safura Abdool Karim, Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Global Health “With Justice”: The Challenges and Opportunities for Human Rights in Global Health Law”, accepted for publication in the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics for the Ten years in Global Health Law: Special Symposium Issue.

ARTICLES UNDER PEER REVIEW

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, "Much ado about nothing? The importance of a decolonial framing of the intended withdrawal of the USA from the WHO" under review in the BMJ Global Health Journal.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, Caroline Ncube, Jeremy de Beer, “Examining the factors necessary for the adoption of technology transfer as a viable pathway for equitable vaccine production and access: a case study of the mRNA vaccine hub in South Africa” under review in the Global Public Health Journal, Pathways towards vaccine justice in a post-Covid world, special issue.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Beyond justiciability: Lessons from South Africa on navigating the minimum core and providing normative clarity of the right to health in the Nigerian context” under review in the Nordic Journal of Human rights.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “In search of normative clarity; the National Health Act as an operationalization of the right to health in Nigeria”, under review in the Oxford University Commonwealth Law Journal.

ARTICLES IN PROGRESS

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, Caroline Ncube, “IP, global health justice and contracts: Public interest litigation as a pathway to vaccine access equity”.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Framing the right to health in Nigeria as a dignity claim, and its implications for State accountability”.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “A global south based human rights approach to Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing for health justice and equity”.

PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL OUTPUT

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Building a World with Equitable Access to Life-Saving Necessities, with No One Left Behind”, August 19, 2024, https://sdg.utoronto.ca/building-a-world-with-equitable-access-to-life-saving-necessities-with-no-one-left-behind/

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, Caroline B. Ncube, and Jeremy de Beer, “Open Science, Intellectual Property and the South African mRNA Vaccine Hub”, April 2024, Open AIR Briefing Paper, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://openair.africa/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Briefing-Paper-Kolawole-Ncube-de-Beer-mRNA-Vaccine-Hub.pdf

• (Member of the team of experts) O’Neill Institute, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, University of Cape Town, “Emergency Countermeasure Development and Deployment”, November 1, 2023, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://oneill.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Emergency-Countermeasure-Development-and-Deployment-1-November-2023.pdf

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The public deserves a return on the medicines governments support”, July 20, 2022, https://360info.org/the-public-deserves-a-return-on-the-medicines-governments-support/

PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

CONFERENCE /WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS AS INVITED EXPERT

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Is the Overton window for HR reform of Patent law closed? A case for a human rights-based approach to Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing” Presented at The Future of IP and Human Rights workshop on the 8th of March, 2025, at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The right to health as a frontier in Intellectual Property: examining the obligations of States to create an enabling environment for the manufacturing of life saving medication” Presented at the New Frontiers in Intellectual Property Conference, on the 7th of March, 2025, at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Moving decoloniality from the abstract to the concrete: exploring the role of technology transfer in the material redistribution of vaccine manufacturing capability” Presented at the Purdy Crawford Workshop on International Business Law. 13-14 September 2024, At the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Power, positionality and personality in research and teaching: reflections of a global south early career scholar” Presented at the Africa Law and Society Colloquium on Research and Teaching in the Global South. 6 to 7 September 2024, at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

• Attendee and contributor to the Pandemic Agreement Regional Engagement Series, convened by the Office of International Affairs for the Health Portfolio, Government of Canada in Toronto, Canada for input in shaping Canada’s position on the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement negotiations (February 2024).

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The effects of Covid-19 interventions on HIV/AIDS services in West Africa” Presented at Continental Conference on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Rights of People Living With HIV/AIDs. 15 to 17 March 2022, convened and hosted by the African Commission on Human & Peoples’ Rights in Dakar, Senegal.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS WITH ACCEPTED PEER REVIEWED ABSTRACTS

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Needs driven v Market driven AI intervention and the role of the State in agenda setting.” Charting a path for AI interventions in African health systems, abstract accepted for the International Society of Public Law Annual Conference 2024. 8-10 July 2024, at IE University Law School, Madrid, Spain.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Whose dignity? Analysing the judiciary’s role in balancing the protection of the public good with individual right to health claims in Africa.” Presented at the Law and Society in Africa Conference 2019. 1-3 April 2019 at American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt. 

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Beyond justiciability: applying communitarianism in right to health litigation in Sub Saharan Africa.” At the Law and Society Association 2018 meeting. 7-10 June 2018 at the Sheraton Centre, Toronto, Canada. 

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The role of relational theory in realizing the right to health for African countries.” At the Law and Society in Africa Conference 2016. 9-11 December 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa. 

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The role of the World Health Organization in ensuring a coordinated Global Health Governance System for better Pandemic Preparedness.” At the 3rd Annual International Conference on Law, Economics and Politics. 17-19 October 2016 at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. 

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Making a case for adopting a human rights paradigm to pandemic preparedness.” At the Critical Legal Conference 2016. 1-3 September 2016 at the University of Kent, United Kingdom. 

WORKSHOPPED PAPERS WITH ASSIGNED MENTORS 

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “A communitarian approach to realizing the State’s obligation to fulfil the right to health in Sub-Saharan Africa.” At the IGLP Scholars workshop. 6-10 January 2019. Organized by the Institute for Global Law and Policy, Harvard Law School in Bangkok, Thailand. [Competitive selection, including full funding for participation].

• Omowamiwa Kolawole “A communitarian approach to realizing the right to health for African countries.” At the Socio-legal Studies Early Career Scholars Workshop. 18-19 August 2018. Organized by the Centre for Law and Society in Cape Town, South Africa. 

• Also selected to act as peer mentor subsequently in 2019.

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Re-evaluating the normative content of the right to health in Nigeria.” 

• At the LSA Young Scholars Workshop. 5-6 June 2018. Organized by the Law and Society Association in Toronto, Canada. [Competitive selection, including full funding for participation].

• Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The public deserves a return on the medicines governments support”, July 20, 2022, https://360info.org/the-public-deserves-a-return-on-the-medicines-governments-support/

PEER REVIEWED CONFERENCE PAPERS PRESENTED

Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The effects of Covid-19 interventions on HIV/AIDS services in West Africa” Presented at Continental Conference on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Rights of People Living With HIV/AIDs- 15 to 17 March 2022, convened and hosted by the African Commission on Human & Peoples’ Rights in Dakar, Senegal

Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Whose dignity? Analysing the judiciary’s role in balancing the protection of the public good with individual right to health claims in Africa.” At the Law and Society in Africa Conference 2019. 1-3 April 2019 at American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.

Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Beyond justiciability: applying communitarianism in right to health litigation in Sub Saharan Africa.” At the Law and Society Association 2018 meeting. 7-10 June 2018 at the Sheraton Centre, Toronto, Canada.

Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The role of relational theory in realizing the right to health for African countries.” At the Law and Society in Africa Conference 2016. 9-11 December 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Omowamiwa Kolawole, “The role of the World Health Organization in ensuring a coordinated Global Health Governance System for better Pandemic Preparedness.” At the 3rd Annual International Conference on Law, Economics and Politics. 17-19 October 2016 at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Making a case for adopting a human rights paradigm to pandemic preparedness.” At the Critical Legal Conference 2016. 1-3 September 2016 at the University of Kent, United Kingdom.

WORKSHOPPED PAPERS WITH ASSIGNED MENTORS FOR PAPERS IN PROGRESS

Omowamiwa Kolawole, “A communitarian approach to realizing the State’s obligation to fulfil the right to health in Sub-Saharan Africa.” At the IGLP Scholars workshop. 6-10 January 2019. Organized by the Institute for Global Law and Policy, Harvard Law School in Bangkok, Thailand. [Competitive selection, including full funding for participation].

Omowamiwa Kolawole “A communitarian approach to realizing the right to health for African countries.” At the Socio-legal Studies Early Career Scholars Workshop. 18-19 August 2018. Organized by the Centre for Law and Society in Cape Town, South Africa.

Also selected to act as peer mentor in 2019.

Omowamiwa Kolawole, “Re-evaluating the normative content of the right to health in Nigeria.”

At the LSA Young Scholars Workshop. 5-6 June 2018. Organized by the Law and Society Association in Toronto, Canada. [Competitive selection, including full funding for participation].

ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• Nigeria Bar Association (NBA)

• Law and Society Association (LSA)

• International Society of Public Law 

• World Association for Medical Law (WAML)

• Africa Law & Society Network (ALSN)

• Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT)

CIVIL SOCIETY/VOLUNTEER WORK

• Volunteer at St Timothy’s Anglican Church, Scarborough, Ontario. (April 2024 to date).

• Member and assigned mentor in Young Black Leaders’ Initiative. Mentorship program created by colleagues in the doctoral program at the Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town to provide mentorship and guidance to Senior High School and young undergraduate students in Cape Town, South Africa. (May 2020-December 2023).

• Project lead, The Streetwise Civic Engagement Initiative. Civic training and anti-bullying training in Lagos State, Nigeria. (2011-2013).

• Endowment of the prize for the graduating student that has shown the most exceptional leadership qualities (The 2003 Head boy’s Leadership Prize), Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Lagos, Nigeria (2004 to date).