Olawale Ajai
Lagos Business School (LBS).
Faculty’s Field of Research: Business Law, Entrepreneurship, Social & Political Environment of Business, Strategy
School: Lagos Business School (LBS).
Faculty’s email address: oajai@lbs.edu.ng
Background:
Olawale Ajai is the Professor of Legal, Social and Political Environment of Business and Head, Department of Strategy at the Lagos Business School. He holds a PhD in law and facilitates sessions on business law, financial inclusion/digital economy and law, non-market strategy, microeconomics of competitiveness and public policy/administration. His research focuses on financial inclusion/digital technology laws and policies, business laws, corporate sustainability, corporate governance and non-market strategy.
Olawale has led strategic repositioning, consulting and training engagements for organizations, such as: The World Bank, Exxon Mobil, Dangote Plc, Novo Health Africa HMO, Central Bank of Nigeria, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigeria Railway Corporation, DESOPADEC, MONAN, OPTS, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and The Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR,) Nairobi.
He is a member of the Environmental Law Commission of the IUCN, Bonn, Germany. He is the Public Policy Lead for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded ‘Sustainable Business Models for Delivering Digital Financial Services to Lower Unbanked Citizens of Nigeria’ Research Project at Lagos Business School, 2015 to date.
Olawale was the inaugural Chief Olu Akinkugbe African Business Law Fellow at the Centre for Comparative Law, Faculty of Law at Cape Town University, South Africa in 2014. He was the inaugural Visiting Professor at the Yale University School of Management on the Global Network Scholars Fellowship for Africa in 2019.
He was formerly Group Company Secretary/Legal Adviser; Executive Director, Human Capital and Executive Director, Marketing and Strategy at Dunlop Nigeria Plc. He was also at various times, Senior Research Fellow, Associate Research Professor and Ag. Director of Research at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. He was a member of Council/ Chair of the Professional Development Committee of Chartered Institute of Personnel Managers of Nigeria for ten years. He has drafted major national legislation on environmental and natural resources law.
He is an alumnus of Lagos Business School, IESE Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is a Member of: the Nigerian Bar Association, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Institute of Directors of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria; and a Fellow of the Leadership for Environment and Development International (LEAD).
Qualification
PhD in law and facilitates sessions on business law, financial inclusion/digital economy and law, non-market strategy, microeconomics of competitiveness and public policy/administration.
Member
He is a member of the Environmental Law Commission of the IUCN, Bonn, Germany. He is the Public Policy Lead for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded ‘Sustainable Business Models for Delivering Digital Financial Services to Lower Unbanked Citizens of Nigeria’ Research Project at Lagos Business School, 2015 to date.
Member of: the Nigerian Bar Association, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Institute of Directors of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria; and a Fellow of the Leadership for Environment and Development International (LEAD).
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Ajai, O. O. (2016). Agenda for intra-African economic development: Business-legal frameworks, enablers and impediments. Journal of Comparative Law in Africa.
Ajai, O. O. (2014). Profit creation, intra- and inter-generational equity: Need for new company law. African Journal of Business Management. (In press).
Ajai, O. O. (2012). Law, water and sustainable development: Framework of Nigerian law. Law, Environment and Development Journal, 8(1), 89–114.
Ajai, O. O. (2012). Trade unions and collective bargaining in a federated emerging economy: A general review from Nigeria. International Journal of Public Law and Policy, 2(2), 191–214.
Ajai, O. O. (2009). Corporate governance, reporting corporate financial information and audit committees: A review of Nigerian and comparative law. International Journal of Comparative Corporate Law.
Ajai, O. O. (2001). Consumer credit and finance: The legal framework. Modus International Law & Business Quarterly, 1, 1.
Fabunmi, J. O., & Ajai, O. O. (1998). Execution of judgment and means of enforcement available to a court in Nigeria. Journal of African Law, 32(2), 164–181.
Ajai, O. O. (1998). The new wills edicts and the reform of wills law in Nigeria: Some thoughts and suggestions. Nigerian Current Law Review, 58–76.
Ajai, O. O. (1998). Environmental impact assessment and sustainable development: A review of the Nigerian legal framework. Nigerian Current Legal Problems, 2, 12–36.
Ajai, O. O. (1998). Project linked international loan case study. Modern Practice Journal of Finance & Investment Law, 2(2), 132–139.
Ajai, O. O. (1997). Recovery of interest by banks: A critical examination of Nigerian case law. Journal of African Law, 41(1), 109.
Ajai, O. O. (1997). Access to genetic resources and biotechnology regulation in Nigeria. Review of European Community and International Environmental Law, 6(1), 42–43.
Ajai, O. O. (1995). Achieving environmental protection through the vehicle of human rights: Some conceptual, legal and Third World problems. University of Benin Law Journal, 2(1), 41–57.
Ajai, O. O. (1993). Recovery of interest on loans: Finance institutions, BOFI decree consumers and money lending contracts. Justice, 8(6), 59–66.
Ajai, O. O. (1993). Teaching, researching and reforming consumer protection law in Nigeria: Some reflections and suggestions. Justice, 7(4), 92–101.
Ajai, O. O. (1992–1993). Caveat venditor! Consumer Protection Decree No. 66 of 1992 arrives in the Nigerian market place. Nigerian Current Law Review, 23–41.
Ajai, O. O. (1992–1993). Recent trends in fundamental breach and exclusion clauses in consumer/commercial transactions. Journal of Private and Property Law, 16–18, 37–49.
Ajai, O. O. (1992). Conservation of aquatic resources in Nigeria: A critical appraisal of the legal framework. Justice, 4–5, 36–47.
Ajai, O. O. (1991). Some unconstitutional aspects of the Land Use Act 1978 and internal conflict rules governing intestate succession to land. Justice, 45–51.
Ajai, O. O. (1990). The integration of traditional medicine into the Nigerian health care delivery system: Legal implications and complications. Medicine & Law, 685–699.
Fabunmi, J. O., Popoola, A., & Ajai, O. O. (1990). Some aspects of law enforcement in the commercial sector in Nigeria. Ogun State University Law Journal, 1, 107–134.
Ajai, O. O. (1989). Market overts: Do they exist in Nigeria? The Gravitas Review of Business and Property Law, 2, 73–77.
Ajai, O. O. (1986). Legal pluralism and the mishandling of Moslem wills: Further considerations of Adesubokan v. Yinusa and the internal conflict rules. Nigerian Current Law Review, 127–140.
Ajai, O. O. (1986). An appraisal of the Miscellaneous Offences (Special Tribunal) Decree No. 20 of 1984. The Ife Law Journal, 58–76.
Books
Ajai, O. O. (2011). Consumer credit, sales and services transactions law in Nigeria. Criterion Educational Foundation Publishers.
Ayua, I. A., & Ajai, O. O. (Eds.). (1998). Implementing the biodiversity convention: Nigerian and African perspectives.
Ajai, O. O., & Ipaye, T. (Eds.). (1997). Rights of women and children in divorce. Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Book Chapters
Ajai, O. O. (2011). Development and balancing of interests in environmental law in Nigeria. In M. Faure & W. du Plessis (Eds.), Balancing of interests in environmental law in Africa. Pretoria University Press.
Ajai, O. O. (2009). Role of legislation in land use planning. In J. O. Fabunmi (Ed.), Themes on jurisprudence and international law: Essays in honour of Prof. A. Ajomo (Chap. 16).
Ajai, O. O. (1998). Environmental considerations in commercial transactions. In Y. Adewopo & O. Fagbohun (Eds.), Development and reforms in Nigeria’s commercial laws: Essays in honour of Chief Chris Ogunbanjo (pp. 31–40).
Ajai, O. O. (1998). Inducing environmental change through legislation: Some lessons and limits. In K. Simpson & O. Fagbohun (Eds.), Environmental law and policy (pp. 40–49). Law Centre, Faculty of Law, LASU.
Ajai, O. O. (1997). Rights of women and children in divorce: The human rights equation. In O. O. Ajai & T. Ipaye (Eds.), Rights of women and children in divorce (pp. 5–16).
Ajai, O. O. (1997). Legitimacy, paternity and custody of children under customary law re-examined. In O. O. Ajai & T. Ipaye (Eds.), Rights of women and children in divorce (pp. 85–94).
Ajai, O. O. (1997). Socio-ethical aspect of HIV/AIDS: Some legal issues. In D. Esangbedo (Ed.), Proceedings of a symposium on AIDS/HIV infection: The socio-ethical issues (pp. 58–69).
Ajai, O. O. (1996). The law, judiciary and the environment in Nigeria. In E. Umezulike & M. Nwese (Eds.), Perspective in law and justice (pp. 240–253). Fourth Dimension Publishing.
Ajai, O. O. (1996). Environmental issues in debt management. In I. A. Ayua & B. Owasanoye (Eds.), External debt and financial management in Nigeria (pp. 205–215). NIALS Publications.
Ajai, O. O. (1996). Convention on biodiversity: From negotiations to issues of interest to Africa. In I. A. Ayua & O. O. Ajai (Eds.), Implementing the biodiversity convention: Nigerian and African perspectives (pp. 1–4). NIALS Publications.
Ajai, O. O. (1996). Critical legal issues in developing and implementing nature conservation policy and strategy in a typical African common law country: Some lessons from the Nigerian experience. In O. O. Ajai (Ed.), Implementing the biodiversity convention: Nigerian and African perspectives (pp. 99–108). NIALS Publications.
Ajai, O. O. (1996). The management of Nigerian biodiversity: The legal perspective. In O. O. Ajai (Ed.), Implementing the biodiversity convention: Nigerian and African perspectives (Chap. 12). NIALS Publications.
Ajai, O. O. (1995). The structure of the judiciary under the 1995 draft constitution. In I. A. Ayua (Ed.), Issues in the 1995 draft constitution.
Ajai, O. O. (1994). Integrating biodiversity conservation in sectoral laws and policies: A case study of Nigeria with considerations for developing countries. In A. Krattiger et al. (Eds.), Widening perspectives on biodiversity (pp. 101–108). IUCN & International Academy of the Environment.
Owoade, M. A., & Ajai, O. O. (1989). Legal education in Ife, 1962–1987. In Omosini & Adediran (Eds.), Great Ife: A history of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, 1962–1987 (Chap. 5). Unife Press.