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Nigerian legal scholar, Dr. Ibironke Odumosu-Ayanu, has been appointed dean of the University of Saskatchewan College of Law (USask Law) in Canada.
Odumosu-Ayanu, who currently serves as professor and associate dean of research and graduate studies at the college, will begin a five-year term as dean on October 1, 2026.
Her appointment was announced by Patti McDougall, interim provost and vice-president, academic at the University of Saskatchewan, who described her as an academic with a strong record in research, teaching and collaborative leadership.
Odumosu-Ayanu takes over as dean following the completion of Martin Phillipson’s two five-year terms. Phillipson began administrative leave on July 1, 2026.
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Professor Doug Surtees, who has served as interim dean, will continue in the role until Odumosu-Ayanu assumes office.
Her appointment comes with responsibility for building on the College of Law’s reputation for legal education and research, while strengthening its work in Indigenous legal scholarship and engagement with local and international communities.
Dr Ibironke’s early academic years
Growing up in Lagos, Odumosu-Ayanu initially expected to pursue her postgraduate education in England, which she regarded as the more conventional destination for Nigerian students seeking graduate studies abroad.
That changed when the University of Calgary’s strength in natural resources, energy and environmental law caught her attention.
She received funding to study for a Master of Laws at the University of Calgary and moved to Canada, initially intending to return to Nigeria after completing the programme and begin practising law.
Instead, she continued to the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she earned a PhD.
- “Because I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing, I thought, let’s continue along this path. So, I decided to apply for a PhD,” she said. Her decision eventually led her into academia, rather than legal practice.
In 2008, she joined the University of Saskatchewan College of Law after being drawn to the institution by what she described as the warmth of its students and community.
A mentor at UBC who had grown up in Saskatoon had advised her to prepare for the Canadian winter by buying a good parka.
Nearly two decades later, she still has the same parka and has made Saskatoon home with her husband and two children.
Dr Ibironke’s research and achievements
Odumosu-Ayanu’s research focuses on business and human rights, international investment law and natural resource governance, particularly how legal and investment decisions affect local communities.
- Her interest in law was shaped partly by her early love for reading and writing. As a child, she regularly created her own stories and developed an interest in communications before eventually settling on law.
- She studied law at the University of Lagos, where she earned her Bachelor of Laws degree, before obtaining her LLM from the University of Calgary and PhD from UBC.
- At USask, she has combined research with teaching, mentorship and graduate supervision.
Her teaching has earned recognition, including the Provost’s College Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2012 and the USask InterD Advisor Award in 2026.
She has also served on the boards of professional associations, academic journals and community organisations, including the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association.
