Lecturer, School of Geography and Sustainable Development

Biography

Dr Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood is a lecturer at the University of St. Andrews’ School of Geography & Sustainable Development, in Scotland and a Visiting Research Fellow at the National Defence College’s Institute of Strategic Research and Studies, in Nigeria. Her work advances an interdisciplinary understanding of oceans’ sustainability and criminality as a question of resource management, environmental justice, and the disproportionate effects of depleting marine resources on inequality, poverty, and insecurity. Dr Okafor-Yarwood has extensive field research experience with strategic maritime stakeholders and communities in West and Central Africa. She regularly consults for regional and international organizations on issues of maritime governance, peace, and security. Her current research deepens understanding of maritime security and governance to consider the gendered dimensions of maritime (in)security across the Gulf of Guinea.

Selected publications

Sefa-Nyarko, C., Okafor-Yarwood, I., and Boadu, E.S. (2021). Petroleum revenue management in Ghana: How does the right to information law promote transparency, accountability and monitoring of the annual budget funding amount? The Extractive Industries and Society. Vol. 8 (3), 100957.

Okafor-Yarwood, I. And Adewumi, I.J. (2020). Toxic waste dumping in the Global South as a form of environmental racism: Evidence from the Gulf of Guinea. African Studies. Vol. 79 (3). 285-304.

Witbooi, E., Ali, K.-D., Santosa, M.A., Hurley, G., Husein, Y., Maharaj, S., Okafor-Yarwood, I., Quiroz, I.A., and Salas, O. (2020). Nature. 588. 48-56.

Kadagi, N.I., Okafor-Yarwood, I., Glaser, S., and Lien, Z. (2020). Joint management of shared resources as an alternative approach for addressing maritime boundary disputes: the Kenya-Somalia maritime boundary dispute. Journal of the Indian Ocean Region. Vol. 16 (3). 348-370.

Okafor-Yarwood, I., Kadagi, N. I., Miranda, N., Uku, J., Elegbede, I. O. & Adewumi, I. J., (2020). The blue economy – cultural livelihood – ecosystem conservation triangle: the African experience. Front. Mar. Sci.; 7 (586): 1-18.