Prof. Olugbenga Oke-Samuel, a distinguished legal scholar and Professor of Law in the Faculty of Law at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, will deliver the institution’s 67th inaugural lecture on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. The lecture, which promises to be a seminal contribution to legal discourse, will examine the pressing issue of environmental injustice and the transformative potential of environmental law clinics in Nigeria.

Scheduled to hold at the University’s Multipurpose Hall, the event will see the erudite professor present his lecture entitled: “Environmental Injustice: Redeeming the Time Through Environmental Law Clinics in Nigeria.” Prof. Oke-Samuel, whose expertise spans Environmental Law and Clinical Legal Education, will explore the role of community-based legal interventions in addressing systemic environmental harm and advancing the cause of environmental justice in the Nigerian context.

According to a statement issued by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) and Chairman of the Ceremonies Committee, Prof. Adebisi Daramola, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, will preside over the occasion. Guests are expected to be seated by 1.30 pm, with proceedings commencing at 2.00 pm.

Prof. Oke-Samuel’s academic trajectory is marked by a distinguished record of scholarship and institutional service. He began his legal education at Lagos State University, Ojo, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1992. He subsequently earned a Master of Laws (LLM) in Environment from the same university in 2002. In 2014, he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law from the University of Zululand, South Africa, under the sponsorship of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

His academic career at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko commenced in 2001 when he joined the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law as a Lecturer II. Over the years, he has risen steadily through the academic ranks, attaining the status of Professor in 2022. A consummate administrator, he has held several key leadership positions within the university, including Acting Head of the Jurisprudence and International Law Department, Acting Head of the Private Law Department, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law, Coordinator of the Akungba Law Clinic, and Director of the AAUA Quality Assurance Unit.

Beyond his administrative acumen, Prof. Oke-Samuel is a prolific researcher and scholar. His substantial academic output includes four authored books, four book chapters, the edited volume Trends in Nigerian Law, and twenty-three peer-reviewed research articles. He has also presented scholarly papers at thirty-six conferences and workshops across the globe, with engagements in the United States, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Nepal.

His international academic footprint extends beyond research to teaching and institutional capacity building. He has served as a Senior Lecturer and Law Clinic Founder/Coordinator at Kampala International University, Uganda; a Visiting Scholar at the City Law Clinic, City University of Mogadishu, Somalia; an Adjunct/Visiting Scholar at Edo State University, Uzaire; and a Visiting Professor at Thomas Adewunmi University, Oko. He is also the Founder of the Heartfelt Community Legal Centre, Akure, and the Founding Coordinator of the Kampala International University Law Clinic, Uganda.

Prof. Oke-Samuel’s outstanding scholarly career has been recognised through several prestigious awards and grants, including a TETFund Sponsorship for his doctoral studies at the University of Zululand (2009); an International Bar Association Travel Grant for the ICC Moot Competition in The Hague (2023); a Community University Partnership Project Grant to attend the IUCN Environmental Law Conference at the University of Waikato, New Zealand (2013); and a Legal Writing Institute Scholarship/Travel Grant for the 13th Biennial Conference at Indiana University School of Law, USA (2008).

An active member of the legal and academic community, he belongs to several professional bodies, including the Board of Trustees of the Association of Energy and Petroleum Law Researchers in Nigeria (AEPLRN), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE), the Global Alliance for Justice Education (GAJE), the National Association of Law Teachers (NALT), and the Nigeria Environmental Society (NES).

The 67th inaugural lecture promises to be a landmark academic event, drawing scholars, legal practitioners, students, and members of the public to a discourse that bridges legal theory and practical advocacy for environmental justice in Nigeria.