Dr. Irekpitan Okukpon

Biography

Irekpitan is an expert in waste governance and policy, international environmental law, and business and human rights. Her research focuses on inclusive municipal solid waste (MSW) and electronic waste (e-waste) governance and human rights. Her research has been highly impactful and cited by various policy and industry stakeholders.

Irekpitan has worked in the higher education sector since 2010 and is an experienced legislative drafter, curriculum designer/reviewer, policy analyst and adviser. She has authored various book chapters, peer-reviewed articles and monographs, presented at various international fora and has co-led several impactful research projects which have influenced policy and practice in Africa.

Prior to her current role at Bradford, she was an Associate Research Professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Lagos State, Nigeria. She also served as Acting Head, Department of Public Law, and Coordinator/Deputy Director, Continuing Legal Education, Consultancy and Regional Economic Integration Law (CLECREIL), at the same institution. In the latter role, she developed various toolkits and training materials on environmental law and policy, admiralty law, criminal justice and illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, and facilitated trainings alongside various international organisations for judicial officers, and professionals within and outside Nigeria.

Irekpitan is a qualified Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and had a brief stint in private legal practice from 2008 to 2012. She graduated with a Distinction from the LLM (Marine and Environmental Law) programme at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and obtained her PhD in International Environmental Law from the same institution.  

She is a recipient of several grants and scholarships, including the prestigious Law150 PhD Scholarship and the PASS/PhD Scholarship for Academic Tutors, University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Best Oralist at the Moot Court Trials of the Summer Academy of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), Hamburg, Germany.

Currently, she is an Academic Advisor for the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, and Director of Programs and Training, International Law Association (ILA)-Nigeria Committee on Women in International Law and Development and International Law Association (ILA)-Nigeria Committee on Business and Human Rights. She is also a Foundation Governor for the Blessed St Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust.

Teaching

Current PhD Research Students:

• Leton Kabari Marcus - Oil Theft and Illegal Refining in Nigeria's Niger Delta Region: Addressing Environmental and Human Rights Concerns
• Somayeh Ghadimzadeh - Criminological Study of Cyber Vandalism and Cyber Terrorism and their Prevention Ways
• Frederick Kandala - Overcoming Challenges: The Academic Experiences and Career Paths of Black Women in UK Higher Education

Modules 

• Sustainable Development Law in Contemporary Business and Society - LAW7030-B
• Sustainable Development Law in Contemporary Business and Society (Distance Learning) - LAW7054-B
• International Environmental Law - LAW7021-B
• International Environmental Law (Distance Learning) - LAW7052-B
• Business, Human Rights and the Environment - LAW7041-B
• Business, Human Rights and the Environment (Distance Learning) - LAW7064-B
• Employment Law - LAW6025-B
• Environmental Law - LAW6021-B
• Dissertation (Distance Learning) - LAW7056-E
• Dissertation (PG) - LAW7032-E
• Dissertation (UG) - LAW6026- D & LAW6003 - B

Professional activities

Publications