Member
Dr. Samuel Oyewole
Lecturer I
Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Science
Area of Specialization: Military and Strategic Studies; International Relations
Biography
Dr Samuel Oyewole is a Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Nigeria. He also serves as a Research Fellow and Programme Coordinator for Research at the African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS), University of Pretoria, South Africa. He holds a PhD in International Relations from North-West University, South Africa. His research focuses on aerospace, defence, and strategic studies, ocean governance, emerging technologies, and International Relations.
Dr Oyewole has authored more than 100 scholarly publications, including the monograph Utilitarianism in Outer Space: Space Policy, Socioeconomic Development and Security Strategies in Nigeria and South Africa (Springer, 2024). He has also co-edited several influential books, including African Perspectives on Trump 2.0 (ESI Press, 2025), The Political Economy of Kidnapping and Insecurity in Nigeria (Springer, 2024), Armed Banditry and Human Security in Nigeria (Palgrave, 2024), and Boko Haram’s Terrorism and the Nigerian State (Routledge, 2021). His research has been published in leading international journals such as Regulation & Governance, Astropolitics, South African Journal of International Affairs, and Journal of Applied Security Research, and he has contributed to major reference works, including the Oxford Handbook of Space Security.
His research has attracted competitive funding from organisations such as the Open Society Foundations. He has received numerous awards for research, teaching, and science communication, including The Conversation Africa Communication Award (2025) for the University of Pretoria's most published author and the Science Communication Award (2021) for FUOYE’s most read author.
Dr Oyewole is actively engaged in graduate supervision, grant development, conference organisation, policy dialogues, and public scholarship. Through his teaching, research, and policy engagement, he seeks to advance African perspectives in global debates on technology, governance, security, and international order while mentoring the next generation of scholars and policy practitioners.
Research Interests
Military and Strategic Affairs
Technological Governance (Policy, Diplomacy, and Geopolitics)
Multidomain Governance (Oceans, Airspace, Outer Space, and Cyberspace)
African Affairs (Governance, Development, and Security)
Qualifications
| Degree | Institution | Year |
|---|---|---|
| PhD Social Sciences with International Relations | North-West University, South Africa. | 2022 |
| MSc Political Science | University of Ilorin, Nigeria. | 2017 |
| BSc Political Science and International Relations | Osun State University, Nigeria. | 2012 |
Membership of Professional Bodies
Programme Coordinator II
Member
Member
Paper Presentation - Local
Faculty Lecture Series, Faculty of Social Sciences, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria
Hybrid Symposium organised by the Department of History and International Studies, Lagos State University, Nigeria, on Israel–Iran War: Power, Proxy, and Politics in the Middle East
Townhall Meeting, Academy of International Affairs, Lagos
Workshop on “Multidimensional cyber threats and national security: Protection vs Predation of civil liberties in Nigeria”, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Nigeria Office, Visa Kareena Hotel, Port Harcourt
Lecture delivered at the “hosting of participants of the National Defence College Course 32 Study Tour of Kwara State from Abuja” by the State Governor at the Governor’s Office Conference Room, Ilorin, Nigeria
32nd Annual Conference of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA)
Paper Presentation - International
Inaugural African Space Law and Policy Conference, Pretoria.
Guest Lecture, The African Leadership Centre (ALC), King’s College London and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa University
Guest Lecture, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, South Africa
The Conference on Africa, the United States, and Geoeconomics of the Sea, jointly organised by the African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS-UP) and the Ocean Regions Programme of the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Guest lecture at the Space Governance Lab, Arizona State University, USA
Royal Air Force Museum’s Conference, London
Guest lecture delivered to a cohort of the African Space Leadership Institute
The 28th International Political Science Association (IPSA) World Congress of Political Science, Coex Convention & Exhibition Center, 513 Yeongdongdaero, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea
British International Studies Association’s (BISA) Conference
African Association of Japanese Studies’ (AAJS) Webinar on Tech, Tongues, and Thoughts: Global Africa and AI
Thought Leadership Session of Spaecehub Africa
AI Week at King’s College London
ACSUS-UP Workshop on African Perspectives on Trump 2.0: US Foreign Policy and the New World (Re)Order
20th International Conference on Sustainable Development, jointly organized by Ontario International Development Agency, Canada, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Law, Centre for Research in Social Justice and Policy, Laurentian University, Canada, and Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
3rd Colloquium of the Ocean Regions Programme (ORP), jointly organized by ORP of the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, BRICS Think Thank, and Institute for Security Studies, South Africa
Digital Pathway to Peace Colloquium, Pretoria
Expert lecture delivered on emerging trends on diplomacy at the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum’s Conference on “The Future of Air Power: The Royal Air Force since 1980 and Beyond”, London.
Public lecture, African Centre for the Study of the United States, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Roundtable Presentation, Ocean Regions Programme of the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
Public lecture, the (British) Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum
The colloquium on “Ocean region in an era of global transformation: human security concerns in the maritime domain”, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum’s Conference on “Progress, Regress, and Change: Air Force since the early 20th Century”, London.
West African Stability and Intellectual Exchange, Centre for Adaptive and Innovative Statecraft (CAIS), Joint Special Operations University, 7708 Tampa Point Blvd, Tampa, Florida, USA.
Conference Presentation on “Close Air Support and the Battlefield” organised by the British Commission for Military History (BCMH) and hosted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum, London
African Digital Policy Series, Centre for Research on African Digital Policy and Innovation, South Africa.
Webinar of the University of Johannesburg’s Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC) on “Reaching for the final frontier: The African Space Sector”
International Conference on Counter-terrorism, Technology and Development in Africa, jointly organised by the Centre forMilitary Studies, Stellenbosch University, South Africa and the Africa Research Institute, Óbuda University, Hungary
RAF Museum Conference on ‘Meaning, Memory and the (Mis-)Remembered Past
Public lecture, the (British) Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum
Royal Air Force Museum Conference on “New Thinking in Air Power, London.
Course Teaching
Research Methodology in Political Science
Theories of International Relations
Contemporary Defence and Strategic Studies
Selected Publications
The Ukraine War and Russia’s Soft Power in Africa
Authors: Ogunnoiki, A.O., Ekpo, C.E., and Oyewole, S.
Journal of Asian and African Studies • 2026
Open publicationAutonomous Weapons Systems in Africa: Emerging Realities, Prospects, and Risks
Authors: Oyewole, S., Isike, C., Oche, T., and Olumba, E.
Journal of Applied Security Research • 2025
Open publicationChallenging Eurocentrism: An Afrocentric Appraisal of the Cape Sea Route
Authors: Oyewole, S.
The Strategic Review for Southern Africa • 2025
Open publicationRegulating Autonomous Weapon Systems: Searching for African Solutions to Regional and Global Problems
Authors: Olumba, E. E., Oyewole, S., Isike, C., & Oche, T. O.
Regulation & Governance Regulation & Governance • 2025
Open publicationThe ethno-regional and religious drivers of Nigeria’s foreign policy
Authors: Isike, C., Oyewole, S. & Okolie, A.
Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional • 2024
Open publicationAfrican Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Challenges of Protectionist Policies on Regional Integration: Insights from Nigeria and South Africa
Authors: Adenuga, G.A., Amusan, L., and Oyewole, S.
African Renaissance • 2024
Open publicationPrecision Agriculture and the Prospects of Space Strategy for Food Security in Africa
Authors: Amusan, L. and Oyewole, S.
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development • 2023
Open publicationForces of Terror: Armed Banditry and Insecurity in North-west Nigeria
Authors: Ojo, S.J., Oyewole, S. & Aina, F.
Democracy & Security • 2023
Open publicationEthno-religious conflicts and the challenges of national security in Nigeria
Authors: Adenuga, G., Olajubu, A.O., Oyewole, S. and Omotola, J.S.
South African Review of Sociology • 2023
Open publicationViolence in Nigeria’s 2019 General Elections: Trend and Geospatial Dimensions
Authors: Oyewole, S and Omotola, J.S.
GeoJournal • 2022
Open publicationWings over Flies: Air Campaigns against Armed Banditry in North West Nigeria
Authors: Oyewole, S., Aina, F., and Ojo, S.J.
RUSI journal • 2022
Open publicationStruck and Killed in Nigerian Air Force’s Campaigns: Assessment of Air Strike Locations, Targets and Impacts in Internal Security Operations
Authors: Oyewole, S.
African Security Review • 2021
Open publicationThe Enduring Relevance of Naval Power: Reflections on Defence, Security and Power Projection of Sea Frontier
Authors: Oyewole, S and Duyile, A.
Austral: Brazilian Journal of Strategy and International Relations • 2021
Open publicationThe Quest for Space Capabilities and Military Security in Africa
Authors: Oyewole, S.
South African Journal of International Affairs • 2020
Open publicationCivil-Military Relations: Conflict and Cooperation between Military Bases and Host Communities in Nigeria
Authors: Oyewole, S.
African Security • 2020
Open publicationThe Fracturing of pro-Biafra Nationalist Movements
Authors: Oyewole, S.
African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review • 2019
Open publicationWomen as Agents of Terror: Women Resources and Gender Discourse in Terrorism and Insurgency
Authors: Amusan, L., Adeyeye, A.I., and Oyewole, S.
Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies • 2019
Open publicationMilitarisation of Oil and Environmental Politics in Nigeria: Armed Resistance, State Responses and Peace Prospects in the Niger Delta Region
Authors: Oyewole, S, Adegboye, D., and Durosinmi, E.
Covenant University Journal of Politics & International Affair • 2018
Open publicationFlying and Bombing: The Contributions of Air Power to Security and Crisis Management in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria
Authors: Oyewole, S.
Defence Studies • 2018
Open publicationThe quest for hegemony and the future of African solutions to African development problems: lessons from headways in the African security sector
Authors: Amusan, L. and Oyewole, S.
Journal of Asian and African Studies • 2017
Open publicationMaking the sky relevant to battle strategy: Counterinsurgency and the prospects of Air Power in Nigeria
Authors: Oyewole, S.
Studies in Conflict & Terrorism • 2017
Open publicationSpace Research and Development in Africa
Authors: Oyewole, S.
Astropolitics: The International Journal of Space Politics and Policy • 2017
Open publicationToo Early to Celebrate! The Decline of Somali Piracy off the East Coast of Africa
Authors: Oyewole, S.
Strategic Analysis • 2017
Open publicationRescuing Boko Haram’s Schoolgirl victims
Authors: Oyewole, S.
New Zealand International Review • 2016
Open publicationThe Fate of Hostages: Nigeria’s Conflict Theatres in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Oyewole, S.
African Security Review • 2016
Open publicationSuppressing Maritime Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea: The Prospects and Challenges of the Regional Players
Authors: Oyewole, S.
Australian Journal of Maritime and Ocean Affairs • 2016
Open publicationBoko Haram: Insurgency and the War against Terrorism in the Lake Chad Region
Authors: Oyewole, S.
Strategic Analysis • 2015
Open publicationBoko Haram terrorism in Nigeria: A Reflection on the Failure of Democratic Containment
Authors: Amusan, L. and Oyewole, S.
Politeia: South African Journal of Political Science and Public Administration • 2014
Open publicationBoko Haram and the challenges of Nigeria’s war on terror
Authors: Oyewole, S.
Defense and Security Analysis • 2013
Open publication