Nigerian legal scholar Ibironke Odumosu-Ayanu appointed dean of Canadian law college

Nigerian legal scholar Dr Ibironke Odumosu-Ayanu has been appointed dean of the University of Saskatchewan College of Law (USask Law) in Canada. She will begin a five-year term on October 1, 2026.

Odumosu-Ayanu currently serves as professor and associate dean of research and graduate studies at the college. Patti McDougall, interim provost and vice-president academic at the University of Saskatchewan, announced the appointment and described her as an academic with a strong record in research, teaching and collaborative leadership.

New dean takes over after long-serving predecessor

Odumosu-Ayanu will succeed Martin Phillipson, who completed two five-year terms as dean. Phillipson began administrative leave on July 1, 2026. Professor Doug Surtees, who has served as interim dean, will remain in the role until Odumosu-Ayanu assumes office.

Her duties will include building on the College of Law’s reputation for legal education and research. She will also strengthen its work in Indigenous legal scholarship and engagement with local and international communities.

From Lagos to Saskatchewan

Odumosu-Ayanu grew up in Lagos and initially planned to pursue postgraduate education in England. She saw that as the conventional route for Nigerian students seeking graduate studies abroad.

That changed when she discovered the University of Calgary’s strength in natural resources, energy and environmental law. She received funding to study for a Master of Laws at Calgary and moved to Canada, intending to return to Nigeria after the programme and practise law.

Instead, she went on 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.

In 2008, she joined USask Law, drawn by what she described as the warmth of its students and community. A mentor at UBC who grew up in Saskatoon had advised her to buy a good parka for the Canadian winter. Nearly two decades later, she still has the same parka and has made Saskatoon home with her husband and two children.

Research and teaching record

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 an early love for reading and writing. As a child, she regularly created her own stories and developed an interest in communications before settling on law. She earned her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Lagos, her LLM at the University of Calgary and her PhD at 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.