International Law Association honors Fayemi, Ladan 

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi has been honored with the International Law Outstanding Achievement Medal by the International Law Association, Nigerian Branch. 

The Award was presented at the President’s Dinner and Award Night organized as part of the 7th Annual Law Conference of the Association held in Abuja. 

The event had in attendance more than 100 participants both in person and online. I

Several dignitaries and leading international law experts attended the dinner ceremony, including the President of the Association, Professor Damilola Olawuyi, SAN, the Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, the Chairman, Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Value, Federal House of Representative, Hon. Fatoba Olusola Steve, the Director-General of Ogun State’s Public Private Partnerships Agency, Dr. Dapo Oduwole, members of the judiciary, and the Director of the Nigeria Country Office of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Dr. Oluwatobiloba Moody amongst other dignitaries. 

The dinner event featured a high-level keynote conversation with Fayemi, moderated by Shola Soyele of Channels Television. 

 The conversation reflected upon the extraordinary career of Fayemi who rose from humble beginnings to receive a doctorate degree in international diplomacy from King’s College London, become former Governor of Ekiti State, former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), former Minister of Mines and Steel Development in the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari between 2015 and 2018, and pioneer President of the Forum of Règions of Africa.

 While speaking on his foray into public service and international diplomacy, Fayemi noted that his passion for research and advocacy spurred in him a passionate desire to contribute his own quota to national development.

 He noted the need for Nigeria to parade the best minds at the international level if the country is to regain its place of pride in international diplomacy. He decried the prevailing absence of Ambassadors in key diplomatic posts and how this may significantly hinder ongoing steps by government to attract foreign investment, including diaspora direct investments, which he notes are urgently needed to accelerate Nigeria’s path towards sustainable development. 

Similarly, the International Law Outstanding Achievement Medal (Academic Category) was presented to Professor Mohammed Tawfiq Ladan, the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. Professor Ladan, who was born in Kano, is a distinguished and globally regarded professor of comparative human rights, environmental law, energy and sustainable development law and practice, with more than 34 years teaching, research and graduate and postgraduate supervision experience. 

The eminent professor has authored over 16 books; over 80 journal articles and over 100 national and international conference/seminar papers. He is a member of the IUCN Academy and Commission on Environmental Law, a Hubert Humphrey Fellow, USA and Member, World Jurists Association, USA. 

While presenting the awards, the President of ILA Nigeria, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who is also an independent expert of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Professor Olawuyi noted that the ILA Outstanding Achievement Medal is the highest and most prestigous award of the ILA, which is presented for outstanding lifetime contributions in the field of international law and diplomacy. He noted that the inaugural prize was presented in 2023 to Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, former Attorney General of the Federation of Nigeria and former member of the International Law Commission. “Recipients of this prestigious award represent Nigeria’s finest in terms of foreign policy and diplomacy. 

We are greatly inspired by their exemplary dedication to international law and diplomacy as well as their consistent track record of mentoring the next generation.” Olawuyi stated. 

The ILA was founded in Brussels in 1873. The ILA now has some 3,500 members in 45 national and regional branches around the world. It is headquartered in London under the leadership of Professor Christine Chinkin. 

ILA’s objective, under its constitution, is to promote the ‘study, clarification and development of international law’. ILA has consultative status with a number of the United Nations specialized agencies. 

Membership of the ILA is open to anyone, including lawyers and non-lawyers, interested in international law. 

The Nigerian Branch of the ILA regularly hosts innovative lectures, seminars, conferences, and other capacity development programs to advance the study and understanding of international law in Nigerin.