Babafemi Akinrinade

Babafemi Akinrinade is a Professor at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Western Washington University. He previously served as an Assistant Professor of Human Rights and held post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame Law School. Akinrinade has a profound background in legal education, having been a Lecturer in Law at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria (1992–2002), and is a member of the Nigerian Bar since 1988.

His education includes LL.B. and LL.M. degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University, and an LL.M. and J.S.D. in International Human Rights Law from the University of Notre Dame Law School. He has also been affiliated with Northwestern University Law School as a Mellon Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow (2003–2004).

Akinrinade’s research interests center on state collapse and human rights, transitional justice, international humanitarian law, and Africa’s political, security, and socio-economic dynamics. He explores frameworks for addressing genocide, mass atrocities, and the Holocaust’s legacy in legal and ethical contexts. His work often bridges international legal theory with regional realities, particularly in Africa.

His publications reflect a focus on comparative legal systems, transitional justice, and Africa’s place in global law. Awards and fellowships include the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship and a role as a Fellow at the Center for Civil and Human Rights, Notre Dame Law School.