Obasesam Okoi is a Ph.D. candidate in peace and conflict studies at the University of Manitoba and the 2016/2017 winner of the Naylah Ayed Prize for Leadership and Global Citizenship, awarded to a student who combines academic excellence with an exceptional commitment to leadership actions that bridge the global and local.
Okoi is also an Ambassador for Peace, awarded by the Universal Peace Federation based on his demonstrated leadership in promoting peace education in Africa. His recent project examined responses to the aftermath of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, with two publications currently undergoing peer review. He introduced the “Responsibility to Defend” (R2D) as a conceptual vocabulary with far-reaching theoretical and practical implications as it pertains to the failure of the state to protect victims of terror, and the struggles, resilience and agency of these victims. Okoi’s current research examines counterinsurgency measures in Nigeria, within the context of limited statehood.
