Curing the disease of the oil curse
The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is a prime location in Africa that has witnessed heavy disregard for the negative environmental impact of oil exploration by multinationals for over four decades.
This condition was caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta, which has led to the emergence of social movements and militant youth groups that have challenged both the Nigerian state and foreign multinational mining companies. This was the nature of the inaugural lecture presented by Prof Victor Ojakorotu from the NWU Mafikeng Campus on 29 April 2015.
The lecture, titled: "Curing the affliction - from the 'oil curse' to sustainable development in Africa's petro-states", was based on the research Prof Ojakorotu conducted on oil-related conflict issues and how peace advocacy can promote inter-ethnic harmony in local communities - primarily those regarded as 'petro-States' in Africa.
To this end, he has published a range of topics in these areas with special emphasis on oil and environmentalism, social movements and post-conflict reconstruction processes in the Niger Delta of Nigeria and Cabinda of Angola.
His publications have appeared in many international journals with five edited books to his credit.
Professor Victor Ojakorotu holds a PhD degree in international relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. However, he received his master of science degree in international relations from Obafemi Awolowo University, in Nigeria, where he obtained a first-class honour's degree in international relations.
Prior to his appointment at the NWU Mafikeng Campus, Professor Ojakorotu had worked at his alma mater, the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg, and at Monash University in Johannesburg.
"It gives me great pleasure to deliver this inaugural lecture in remembrance of my appointment to the position of a full professor of international relations in 2013 by the University of North-West," said Prof Ojakorotu.