Obinna Chris Dike

Assistant Professor of Law

Dr. Dike is a Faculty at the School of Law, the American University of Nigeria where he teaches International Humanitarian Law, Nigerian Legal System, and the law of Equity & Trust.

He has participated in some international research projects including a Nuffield Foundation-funded research project on the legal framework and the judicial attitudes to natural resources rights and the claim of First Nations to Aboriginal rights and title in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

As an Associate Researcher with Mildwaters Consulting LLP in the United Kingdom, Obinna worked on another project concerning the international and national legal regimes for the decommissioning of disused offshore oil and gas installations in Canada, Malaysia, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and many others. He has worked in some high-profile law firms in Nigeria and has extensive law practice experience in litigation, legal advising, alternative dispute resolution, negotiation, commercial transactions, and law consulting in the mining and petroleum sectors.

An expert in community sustainability and community benefit management systems, Obinna has provided consultation, law, and policy advisory services to a range of local and international organizations such as government agencies, corporations including oil and gas companies, the World Bank, and NATO.  Obinna was a member of a team of experts that provided consultation and advice to NATO on “conflict minerals” in the Great Lake Region of Africa.  He is currently advising some Nigerian petroleum industry stakeholders on the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, particularly the operationalization of the Host Community Development Trust Fund.

Obinna is the author of Integrating Mining and Petroleum Exploration and Production with Community Development: Towards a Strategic Engagement of Community Development Agreements for Social and Economic Growth, Local Governance, and Sustainability in Project Areas. His book Host Community/Oil Company Agreements and Security of Investments in Oil and Gas Industry: A Case Study of Nigeria, (Lambert Academic Publishers, 2010) explores the practice of community agreements as a tool for Strategic engagement and mitigating social risks in the petroleum industry. His recent publication: ‘Control of Social and Environmental Impacts of Mining in Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone: Imperative of Institutional Quality Regulation’ explores the relevance of institutional quality in improving environmental outcomes in Africa.

Obinna has a strong background in resource governance, community sustainability, and conflict management in resource development contexts