CEO

DR VICTORIA NALULE

Biography

Victoria is a lawyer and an Energy and Mining expert, with extensive experience working on various projects in the different parts of the Globe. She is a holder of a PhD in International Energy Law and Policy (Dundee, UK). Victoria is the Founder of a charity NGO, the African Energy and Minerals Management Initiative. She is the CEO and lead consultant at Nalule Energy & Minerals Consultants. She is also an Energy & Natural Resources Law Lecturer at the University of Bradford, UK.

Victoria is enthusiastic about energy arbitration & dispute resolution. As such, she is an Energy Arbitrator at the Energy Disputes Arbitration Center (EDAC), Turkey. She is a committee member at the International Law Association (ILA): and at Access for Women in Energy.

Victoria is an author and has widely published on topics relating to oil, gas, renewable energy, climate change, mining and International Arbitration. Her latest five books covering energy, mining, land access and Extractives, energy arbitration, and negotiation in Extractives.

Victoria offers extensive experience in the Energy and Mining sectors having worked with various institutions; regional and international organizations including assignments for The Queen Mary University of London (EU Energy Project); The International Energy Charter Secretariat in Belgium; The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment in New York; the East African Community Secretariat in Tanzania; the Southern African Development Community Secretariat in Botswana; International Arbitration Case Law in New York; Uganda Christian University; to mention but a few. She has also worked with both the private and public legal sectors.

She has presented as a speaker and panellist in several forums and conferences. She has also advised African governments on oil, gas and mining projects including training officials from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company: leading a capacity building training for an international NGO OXFAM: appearing as an expert witness before the Commission of Inquiry into Land matters in Uganda; presenting comments on the South African Petroleum Bill before the country’s Policy Makers; leading a team of energy experts in reviewing Energy/Mining laws and policies for countries such as Namibia, Ethiopia, Uganda etc.

Victoria has an active YouTube Channel and Podcast both focused on energy and mining discussions. She is one of the few people who got her PhD in less than 3 years below the age of 30 years. For more, visit www.victorianalule.com.

Advisory Member

PROFESSOR DAMILOLA S. OLAWUYI, SAN, FCIARB

Biography

Professor Damilola is an international lawyer, professor of law, arbitrator, author, and policy consultant, with expertise in petroleum, energy and environmental law. In 2015, Professor Olawuyi was promoted to the rank of Full Professor of Law at Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria at the age of 32 years, becoming one of the youngest full professors of law in Nigerian history. He is Deputy Vice Chancellor, Chancellor’s Fellow and Director of the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (OGEES Institute), Afe Babalola University, Nigeria. He is also a professor of petroleum, energy and environmental law at HBKU Law School, Doha, Qatar where he teaches energy and environmental law courses. 

​A prolific and highly regarded scholar, Professor Olawuyi has practiced and taught law in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. He was formerly an international energy lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Calgary, where he served on the firm’s global committee on extractive resource investments in Africa. He was also formerly deputy director and head of international environmental law at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, Waterloo, Canada. 

Professor Olawuyi has published several influential journal articles and books on natural resources, energy and environmental law.  He has been an expert speaker and commentator at several international conferences. His most recent book publications include: Extractives Industry Law in Africa (Springer, 2018) and The Human Rights-Based Approach to Carbon Finance (Cambridge University Press, 2016). 

Professor Olawuyi is an Independent Expert on the African Commission’s Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights. He is Vice Chair of the International Law Association; co-chair of the Africa Interest Group of the American Society of International Law (2016-2019); and member of the Academic Advisory Group of the International Bar Association’s Section on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL).  He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy; Associate Editor of the Carbon and Climate Law Review; and Senior Research Fellow of the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, Montreal, Canada. He is a member of the Governing Council of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria, and a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICARB).  

Professor Olawuyi has lectured on energy and environmental law in over 50 countries including: Qatar, Great Britain, Greece, France, Denmark, United States, Australia, Spain, China, India, Kenya, Netherlands, Canada, United States and across Nigeria. He has most recently received the Herbert Smith Freehills Visiting Professorship at the University of Cambridge, UK and the IAS Vanguard Fellowship of the University of Birmingham. He has served as a visiting professor of law at the China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing; University Research Fellow at the Consortium for Peace Studies, University of Calgary; and David Sive Scholar at Columbia Law School, New York, United States.  

Professor Olawuyi has been admitted as Barrister and Solicitor in Alberta, Canada; Ontario, Canada; and Nigeria. 

Advisory Member

DR. GEOFFREY AORI MABEA

Biography

Dr. Geoffrey Aori Mabea is the Executive Secretary of the Energy Regulators Association of
East Africa tasked with spearheading the realisation of robust Energy Union for Eastern Africa
countries.

He is an energy expert with vast experience in energy and infrastructure. Dr. Mabea has served
in various leadership positions in national and international organisations where he has
amassed a wealth of experience in managing multibillion-dollar projects and policy
formulation in Africa.

He is certified with SAP Project Systems and has managed most extensive geothermal energy development programmes in Kenya, leading Northern Corridor countries regional energy Integration projects (NCIP) and in various assignments in South Africa and Indonesia. He has vast experience in infrastructure projects origination and portfolio management of power sector energy projects. He has served in multiple national and regional policy formulation committees in East Africa.

Dr Mabea is a Kenyan national with multidisciplinary education: Geomatics Engineering, and
MBA, both from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology; MSc. Energy
Economics and Policy, University of Surrey; and Ph.D. Energy Economics and Policy, University of Dundee.

Dr. Mabea is a Chevening Scholar and has intensively researched on the economic benefits of integrating electricity markets in Eastern Africa. He is passionate about electricity markets and
infrastructure in Africa and has been at the frontline forging for the establishment of robust
electricity markets in Africa.

Advisory Member

MIREILLE TOULEKIMA

Biography

MIREILLE TOULEKIMA is an internationally renowned oil and gas professional, Senior Petroleum Engineer, Global Energy and STEM consultant and Women empowerment advocate who gained her experience working across 4 continents in Australia, Africa, Asia and Europe
on projects of different scale for Shell Exploration and Production (Gabon, Holland and Malaysia), Santos Ltd (Australia, Indonesia), Woodside Energy Ltd (Australia), Sasol 10 Exploration and production (South Africa, Mozambique and UK) and MT Energy Resources (Australia, Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique) in a range of technical and leadership roles for more than 20 years.

She has published three books of which: “Local Content Key Enabler for Oil and Gas projects in Emerging Markets: Investing, Developing and Providing Oversight in Countries of Operation” in 2015 which is now a refence book in Universities in UK and in Africa.

Mireille has been featured on TV, Radio, Podcasts and Talk shows around the world. She has been identified and recognized as one of the women of influence in the energy sector, STEM industries and leadership and entrepreneurship globally. She is the Founder and Managing Director of the Perth Australia based energy company MT Energy Resources Ltd. She also founded the program STEM Queens in Uganda and Australia in 2018 and 2020 respectively with the objective to reach out and sponsor African and Indigenous Australian girls and women to embrace STEM and increase women participation in STEM sectors. 

STEM QUEENS has for objective to empower at least one million women and girls in STEM by 2025. Mireille serves as board member, Ambassador, global executive and partner to global and local ventures and organizations. She contributes to international leadership and technical Think
Tank groups and has been a guest lecturer in several technical and leadership institutions and
universities globally. She is the recipient of several international awards.

She was a Finalist for WomenTech Network Global Award 2020 in the category Diversity & Inclusion Officer Role Model of the year. She was named Australian eYs Magazine 2020 TOP 50 GLOBAL KEY INFLUENCERS. In 2019, she was inducted as Western Australia Woman in STEM Role Model by WiTWA (Women in Technology Western Australia) and was awarded the
Exceptional Woman of Excellence Award by WEF (Women Economic Forum).

Advisory Member

DR GEOFFREY WOOD

Biography

Geoff is a Lecturer in Environmental Law at the School of Law, University of Stirling, a Researcher in Global Energy Transitions at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Dundee, and Guest Lecturer in Energy and Environmental Governance at Glasgow Caledonian University. He holds a PhD in low carbon energy governance and optimizing deployment from the Centre for Energy Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP) and an MSc in renewable energy and environmental modelling from the School of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics, both from the University of Dundee, and a BSc (Hons) in Ecological Geography and Conservation from Anglia Ruskin, Cambridge.

An interdisciplinary energy and environmental law, policy and governance specialist, his research and teaching focuses on energy transitions law, investigating the development of legal and governance frameworks to optimise sustainable energy and environmental policy delivery in terms of environmental, social, economic, political and technological outcomes. Research interests include energy law and governance pertaining to renewable energy, low carbon energy and fossil fuels (including unconventional hydrocarbons and CCS), sustainable and just energy system transitions, the role of public participation and engagement (e.g. in terms of decision-making, access to information, ownership, risk management, planning); understanding new models of government-stakeholder partnerships in energy and environmental governance, multi-level governance, devolution and constitutional law, energy storage, hydrogen, systems theory, sustainable development and climate change law and policy.

Geoff has published extensively on energy and environmental issues, with over 40 articles, books, book chapters and other publications. In addition to publishing three books: The Palgrave Handbook of Managing Fossil Fuels and Energy Transitions (2019), A Critical review of Scottish Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Policy (2017) and Renewable Energy Policy in Scotland (2010), he is co-editing 5 books: ‘low carbon energy transitions in Latin America’ (Palgrave, 2021), ‘future research agendas in energy’ (Edward Elgar, 2021), ‘social license to operate and energy transitions’ (Palgrave, 2021), ‘zero carbon energy systems and energy transitions’ (Palgrave, 2022) and ‘energy poverty and energy transitions’ (Palgrave, 2023). Recent research includes investigating global energy poverty, exploring the impact of austerity on environmental decision making in Scotland, a critical analysis of policy risk and politics on low carbon energy deployment in the UK and Scotland, the role of definitions in renewable and low carbon energy governance, and a case study approach to the governance of shale gas.

In addition to academia, Geoff is Series Editor of the major new Palgrave Studies in Energy Transitions handbook series (forthcoming, Palgrave 2021), Co-Series Editor for the ‘Energy, Climate and Environment’ book series (Palgrave), and Editor-in-Chief for the ‘Encyclopedia of Renewable and Low carbon Energy’ (forthcoming, Palgrave). He is also the founder and Director of Academic Proofreading and Editing Solutions.

Previously Geoff has been a Lecturer in International Energy Law and Policy at Stirling University Law School (2014-2020), and a researcher, research fellow and independent consultant for various organisations including University of Stirling, University of Dundee, CEPMLP, Extractives Hub, Offshore Renewable Institute, Royal Society of Edinburgh and Scottish Government. Further, he is a member of the Energy Poverty Research initiative (EPRi), an independent organisation launched in 2017 as a step towards establishing a Scottish cross-sector centre for excellence in energy poverty research.

Geoff teaches Climate change and carbon management; Downstream energy law and policy; Energy and climate change; Energy law and policy; Environmental law; International law and sustainable development; Introduction to renewable energy technology; Low carbon energy law; Marine Energy; Planning law; Regulating social corporate responsibility; Research methods; and Sustainability.

Advisory Member

EVANS MWESIGYE, FCCA

Biography

A Fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), and a holder of MSc in Oil and Gas Economics of the University of Dundee, Evans has a wealth of uninterrupted experience in Tax Administration spanning over two decades at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). He has held technical and managerial roles in business process re-engineering, quality assurance, auditing, withholding tax regimes (taxes at source), VAT, exemption regimes, advisory, business policy and international taxation. He regularly executed challenging assignments in various sectors including, mining, oil and gas, services, and policy development, among others. He has worked extensively with development partners on technical assistance (TA) missions, consultants and other stakeholders to deliver policy proposals for the extractives industry for Uganda. He is a member of the Multi-stakeholder group (MSG) of Uganda’s EITI Project, and the East Africa Revenue Authorities Technical Committee (EARATC).

He possesses invaluable knowledge and exposure in best practices in tax administration, and is passionate about delivering sustainable policy solutions for resource rich developing economies. He is currently Manager for Domestic Taxes Tax Appeals at the Tax Authority. Until recently, Evans has been the Manager in charge of Policy Management and Revenue Monitoring in the Petroleum Division at Uganda Revenue Authority. He is a Certified Trainer of Trainers, and lectures at the Tax Body’s Tax Institute.  He holds a Msc. Oil and Gas Economics, University of Dundee, Sept. 2014; Bsc. (Economics & Statistics), Second Upper, Makerere University, 1994; Fellow, Association of Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA), Dec, 2016; Association of Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA), December 2011; Certified Public Accountant (CPA), December 2011; Postgraduate Diploma in Revenue and Tax Administration (PODITRA), 1997.

Advisory Member

DR THOMAS L MUINZER FRSA

Biography

Dr Muinzer is Co-Director of the Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law, based at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, where he also works as a Senior Lecturer in Energy Transition Law. His teaching, research and consultancy work focuses most particularly on climate and energy decarbonisation law and policy.  He has subsidiary and intersecting interests in the sphere of constitutional law, human rights protections, and the safe and responsible governance of energy and the environment.  

Thomas is the author of the first monograph on the world’s first example of national framework climate legislation: Climate and Energy Governance for the UK Low Carbon Transition: The Climate Change Act 2008 (Palgrave: UK, 2018).  He is also Contributing Editor to the first book-length study of national Climate Change Acts from around the world:  National Climate Change Acts: The Emergence, Form and Nature of National Framework Climate Legislation (Hart/Bloomsbury: UK, 2021).

Thomas is also a Co-founder of the Scottish Climate Emergency Legal Network, and a member of the Legislation Working Group at the Legal Services Agency, Glasgow, which co-ordinates the Network. He is Co-Convenor of the Energy Law section of the Society of Legal Scholars, the body which runs the UK’s major national legal conference, and sits on the Law Society of Scotland's Education and Training (Policy) Committee and its Education and Training (Standard Setting) Sub-Committee, which regulate aspects of solicitors’ training in Scotland.

Advisory Member

MR. AYEBARE RUKUNDO TOM

Biography

Mr. Ayebare Rukundo Tom is a Petroleum economist with over seven years’ experience in cost, financial and economic aspects of Uganda’s petroleum and development sectors executed in Uganda, France and U.K. Currently, he works with the Petroleum Authority of Uganda as the Manager Economic and Financial analysis. Previously, he worked with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development in roles relating to the economic and commercial regulation of the oil and gas
sector.

He has also worked with National Housing and Construction company and Uganda National Roads Authority in various capacities.
He possesses a Master of Science in Oil and Gas Economics from University of Dundee and a Bachelor’s Degree in Quantity Surveying from Makerere University.

Raphael Heffron, PhD

Biography

Raphael Heffron is a Professor for Global Energy Law & Sustainability at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee. As of July 2019, he is also a Jean Monnet Professor in the Just Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy awarded by the European Commission. He is also Senior Counsel at the law firm Janson in Brussels (Belgium). Professor Heffron is a qualified Barrister-at-Law, and a graduate of both Oxford (MSc) and Cambridge (MPhil & PhD). All his work has a principal focus on achieving a just transition to a low-carbon economy and combines a mix of energy law, policy and economics. He has published over 140 publications of different types and is the most cited scholar in his field worldwide (1150+Scopus). Professor Heffron has given just over 125 keynote or guest lectures in 44 countries worldwide.

Raphael was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh Young Academy of Scotland in 2018. His research and teaching has been recognised by the award of a Jean Monnet Professorship by the European Commission twice in 2016 (-2019) and 2019 (-2022). His teaching has also been recognised in the UK by becoming a Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy in 2018. In addition, Raphael is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts.

He is a reviewer for the next IPCC Report. Raphael is on the Editorial Board of the International Energy Law Review, the Renewable Energy Law and Policy Review and is Consulting Editor of the current Halsbury’s Laws of England volumes on Energy Law (the leading practitioner energy law series). Raphael is also co-editor of the forthcoming Oxford University Press Handbook for International Energy Law and Editor-in-Chief of the Edinburgh University Press journal Global Energy Law & Sustainability.

Raphael is currently or has been in the past the following positions: the Co-Chair of the UK Energy Law and Policy Association; Visiting Professor in Energy Law at the International Hellenic University (Greece); an Associate Researcher at the Energy Policy Research Group at the University of Cambridge (current); a Visiting Professor at Paris-Dauphine University (Paris, France – current), Queen Mary University of London (UK – current), the University of West Indies (Trinidad-based), Javeriana University (Colombia) and University Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique – current); a Visiting Lecturer at the ESCP Business School (London and Paris); and a Visiting Scholar at MIT (US), University of Sydney (Australia), University Of Texas at Austin (US) and the British Institute for International and Comparative Law (UK).

Raphael read for his PhD at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge. He is also a trained Barrister-at-Law and was called to the Bar in July 2007 in the Republic of Ireland. He holds degrees from the University of Cambridge (MPhil-Darwin, PhD-Trinity Hall), the University of Oxford (Christ Church) (MSc) the University of St. Andrews (MLitt), and Trinity College Dublin (BA, MA).

Research

Raphael’s energy research has involved funding from UK national research councils (the ESRC and the EPSRC), the EU and currently through the European Commission Jean Monnet Professorship 2019-2022, UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and ERA-ACTOM. He has given professional expert advice on energy law and policy issues (low-carbon energy and electricity systems) to the EU, UN, Commonwealth Secretariat, World Bank, and various international thinktanks – he currently serves on the UNECE Group of Experts on Cleaner Electricity Systems. More recently, he has performed due diligence on low carbon energy projects for the 10 Member States of the ASEAN Center for Energy; produced a law and policy report on the energy transition for the 54 Member States of the Commonwealth, advised Nigerian Ministries on oil and gas law and Colombian professionals on climate and green finance.