Dr Olayinka Ajala
Senior Lecturer Leeds Beckett
- Leeds
Olayinka Ajala’s research interests include rural development, resource conflict, human security, peace and security.
Media
Social
Biography
Olayinka holds a doctorate degree in Politics from the University of York and a Masters degree in Globalisation and Development from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.
In working with communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, Olayinka has analysed how insurgencies are formed and how addressing human security issues could reduce violent conflicts. More recently, he has investigated counter-insurgency mechanisms such as drone warfare and the importance of interorganisational cooperation.
Olayinka consults for the Ministry of Defence, United Kingdom. He was previously a visiting fellow/lecturer at the Combating Terrorism Centre, United States Military Academy, West Point where he taught final year cadets. He has consulted for local and international organisations including the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), the Government of Belgium and was a lead panel analyst on ‘Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Africa’, a round table discussion at the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He is also a regular analyst for media organisations such as the BBC and Aljazeera.
Olayinka is currently working on a GCRF funded project titled ‘Catalyzing participation through innovation to strengthen rural-urban climate resilient futures in Namibia’. He is also a principal investigator on a CeASR funded project titled ‘Sustainable agriculture in Nigeria: Understanding the link between conflict (and terrorism) and climate change in farmers’ displacement and livelihood transformation’.
Olayinka teaches undergraduate and postgraduate modules at LBU and is interested in accepting PhD students in the areas of peace and security, terrorism and counter-terrorism, formation of insurgent groups, climate change and sustainable development especially in West Africa and the Sahel.
Industry Expertise
Areas of Expertise
Education
University of York
PhD
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
2015
University of Sussex
MA
Globalisation and Development
Affiliations
- Higher Education Academy : Fellow
Links
Languages
- English
Media Appearances
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger want to leave Ecowas. A political scientist explains the fallout
The Conversation online
2024-02-05
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have sent Ecowas, west Africa’s main political union of 15 countries, a formal notice of their withdrawal from the bloc. The three countries are governed by military rulers who have overthrown democratically elected leaders since 2021.
The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo asked political scientist Olayinka Ajala about the implications of the withdrawal.
Niger and Russia are forming military ties: 3 ways this could upset old allies
The Conversation online
2024-01-29
In July 2023, Niger’s military took over in a coup just two years after the country’s first transition to civilian power. The coup has brought into sharp focus the role of foreign countries in Niger’s politics.
Before the coup, France and the US were the main security allies of Niger. But the coup leaders, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, were open about their antagonism to France, the country’s former colonial ruler, and ordered the French military to leave.
Now the attention of many people in Niger has shifted to Russia.
Scramble for the Sahel – why France, Russia, China and the United States are interested in the region
The Conversation online
2024-01-08
The Sahel, a region 3,860km wide located south of the Sahara Desert and stretching east-west across the African continent, has been a focus of attention around the world recently.
In the last decade, issues such as terrorism, insecurity and trafficking have characterised the region.
[....]
Despite the challenges facing the region, the scramble for the Sahel remains intense.
Coup in Niger: What the shifting political landscape means for the region
France 24 online
2023-08-04
A delegation from West African regional bloc ECOWAS has left for Niamey on Thursday to negotiate with the coup leaders who seized power last week, the Nigerian presidency said in a statement. We talk to Dr Olayinka Ajala, senior politics lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, about the latest developments.
Niger marks independence day as coup leaders suspend FRANCE 24 and RFI
France 24 online
2023-08-03
Thousands of pro-coup supporters take to the streets in Niger marking the 63rd anniversary of the country's independence from France, as FRANCE 24 and RFI are banned in the country. We talk to Dr Olayinka Ajala, senior politics lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, about the latest developments. Also, violence in the Sahel flares up again with the slaying of several fishermen in northern Cameroon.
Event Appearances
'Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Africa', a round table discussion
(2014) John F Kennedy School of Government Harvard University
Articles
The Case for Neutrality: Understanding African Stances on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
International Organisations Research Journal2023
The war in Ukraine is impacting most countries in the world. Economically, prices of goods and services are rising and many countries around the world are experiencing energy crises that can be linked to the war in Ukraine. Politically, fractures are appearing in long-established political structures with many countries around the world deciding on how to respond to the war in Ukraine based on their political, economic, and strategic interests. Surprisingly, Africa is generating a lot of attention due to the stance of several notable countries – including some seen as key allies of Western countries.
Exploring the benefits and dis-benefits of climate migration as an adaptive strategy along the rural-peri-urban continuum in Namibia
Regional Environmental Change2022
The scale of climate migration across the Global South is expected to increase during this century. By 2050, millions of Africans are likely to consider, or be pushed into, migration because of climate hazards contributing to agricultural disruption, water and food scarcity, desertification, flooding, drought, coastal erosion, and heat waves. However, the migration-climate nexus is complex, as is the question of whether migration can be considered a climate change adaptation strategy across both the rural and urban space.
Evolution and decline: transformation of social movements in Nigeria
Review of African Political Economy2021
Despite the rising academic scholarship on democracy, particularly the role played by social movements in entrenching democracy in Africa, few studies have explored the transformation of social movements after they have achieved (or come close to achieving) their stated goals. Using a case study of the Oodua Peoples Congress in Nigeria, this study argues that social movements in Africa lack the capacity to transform and often become partisan or disintegrate. The study concludes that the unique characteristics of African politics, coupled with the inability of social movements to maintain public support after initial gains, eventually weaken the movements.
