Dr Titilayo Adebola

Biography

Dr Titilayo Adebola is the Theme Coordinator for International Intellectual Property and Information Law and Director of the Centre for Commercial Law at the University of Aberdeen (UoA) School of Law. She is an interdisciplinary scholar in international economic law and international intellectual property law with specialist interests in food, agriculture, environment, entertainment/creative industries, new/emerging technologies and health. Dr Adebola has advised intergovernmental organisations, regional institutions, national governments and private sector actors on matters related to her specialisations. She has conducted research, delivered lectures/addresses and organised events in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

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 a Senior Advisor to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the African International Economic Law Network and Collaborator on Open AIR African Innovation Research. 

Dr Adebola was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre, University of Oxford from May to July 2023 and 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 and Fellow, Advance HE. Dr Adebola is currently writing a monograph entitled Plant Variety Protection: Global Regimes, Domestic Realities (Oxford University Press).

Qualifications

• PhD. University of Warwick
• GradICSAN. ICSAN
• 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 tools to study her specialist interests in international intellectual property law and international economic law including food, agriculture, environment, entertainment/creative industries, new/emerging technologies and health. 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 or completed courses at institutions relevant to her specialist interests including the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the World Trade Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants.  

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 Agriculture Law
• New/Emerging Technologies
• Creative Industries

Knowledge Exchange

Selected Presentations, Capacity Building, Trainings and Masterclasses

1. 'Role of Lawyers in the Debt Debate' Masterclass for the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), 30 January 2025.
2. 'Beyond Colonial Pedagogy: Third World Approaches to International Law Insights on Decolonising the Curriculum' University of Bradford School of Law, Bradford, 5 December 2024.
3. 'Open Science and Data Sharing in Africa: Policy and Legal Frameworks' Scotland - Africa: Enhancing Academic Partnerships, Royal Society of Edinburgh, 12 November 2024.
4. 'Globalised Strategies for Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights' Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX) Algiers, Algeria, 17 October 2024.
5. 'Advancing Inclusive Plant Variety Protection Systems' The 6th Lex Proficia: Triple Planetary Crisis and Humanitarian Crisis, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia, 5 June 2024.
6. '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.
7. '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.
8. 'The Global Governance of Food' School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, 31 March 2023.
9. '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.
10. '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.
11. 'Roundtable on Nigeria’s Creative Industries Development Bill' University of Aberdeen, 22 February 2023.
12. 'Intellectual Property Masterclass' Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX) Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, 25 – 27 November 2022.
13. 'Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights' Continental Bootcamp Training on the AfCFTA for Africa’s Under 40 CEOs and Entrepreneurs Network, Kigali, Rwanda, 10 -12 October 2022.
14. 'Geographical Indications in Nigeria: Interconnections with Trade Marks, Trade Secrets and Branding' Commercial Law Research Network Nigeria/African Sovereign Debt Justice Network Conference, 6 - 8 July 2022.
15. 'Intellectual Property Rights: International and Nigerian Legal Regimes' Nigerian Export Promotion Council Workshop on Geographical Indications, 7 - 8 April 2022.

Selected Blogposts

1. Adebola T, 'Farmers Rights in Africa: An Interview with Andrew Mushita'  Flora IP, 23 January 2025.
2. Adebola T, 'Roundtable on Nigeria’s Creative Industries Development Bill' University of Aberdeen, School of Law Blog (March 2023).
3. 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/University of Aberdeen, School of Law Blog (October 2022).
4. Adebola T, 'The Lake Chad Basin Region: Conflicts, Crises and Contemporary Development' Flora IP/University of Aberdeen, School of Law Blog (August 2022).
5. Adebola T and Curtis N, 'The Repatriation of Benin Bronze and Decolonisation of Museums: Views from the University of Aberdeen' Afronomicslaw/ University of Aberdeen, School of Law Blog (November 2021).
6. Adebola T and Fagbayibo B, 'The Repatriation of Benin Bronzes: Analysing the Intersections of Arts, Culture and the Law' Afronomicslaw (November 2021).
7. Adebola T and Sodipo B, 'The Return of Looted Benin Bronzes: Art, History and the Law.' Afronomicslaw/University of Aberdeen, School of Law Blog (October 2021).
8. 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).
9. 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/University of Aberdeen, School of Law Blog (1 February 2021).
10. Adebola T, 'In Conversation with Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.' Afronomicslaw Indaba (December 2020).
11. 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).
12. 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).
13. Adebola T, 'Can the Subaltern Speak? Nigeria’s Untoward Path to UPOV.' Afronomicslaw (10 April 2020).
14. Brown A, Catherine Ng and Adebola T, 'Intellectual Property Rights, the Public Interest and COVID-19.' University of Aberdeen, School of Law Blog (07 April 2020).
15. Adebola T, 'On the Legal Landscape for Genome Editing in Agriculture: An Interview with Daniele Manzella.' University of Aberdeen, School of Law Blog (01 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