Damola Adediji
Adedamola Adediji
Doctoral student

Faculty of Law
University of Ottawa
Contact: LinkedIn



Biography

Damola Adediji’s doctoral research focuses on how and if antitrust-competition law principles could be deployed to moderate or even confront the challenges of access to text-based and digital educational materials published in non-colonial languages posed by the translation and anti-circumvention and other regimes in international copyright law. His immediate focus jurisdictions in his doctoral studies are Nigeria and South Africa. However, he is also interested in widening his research lens to different parts of Africa and to Indigenous nations like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. His research focuses on inclusive education, the loss of linguistic and cultural heritage, and the coloniality of knowledge. Having been called to the Nigerian Bar in 2013, Damola is not just an academic, but a practicing lawyer with a proven track record of advising and representing clients on IP and competition law issues. His expertise is not confined to the theoretical realm, as he has numerous publications, both in academia and beyond.  

In 2020, The Economist sought his insights for a story on competition policies in Africa, a testament to his growing international reputation. In 2023, he served as one of the designated experts who facilitated the week-long Intellectual Property Study Tour for the senior officials of the Vietnamese Intellectual Property Office, jointly organized by Global Affairs Canada and Cowater International in Canada.   

He holds a master’s degree in Intellectual Property and Competition Law from the Max Planck Institute’s Munich Intellectual Property Law Center (MIPLC) in Munich, Germany, a jointly administered specialist program by the George Washington University, Technical University of Munich, University of Augsburg, and the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, supported by the DAAD Scholarship.   

He loves travelling, dancing, and meeting new people, especially from other cultures.

Scholarships and Bursaries

  • Centre for Regulation of the Creative Economy (CREATe) Scholarship for Spring School on Copyright, Competition & Tech Regulation, University of Glasgow (2024)
  • Katherine Lippel Special Fund for Graduate Studies in Law (2023)
  • Open African Innovation Research (Open Air) Fellowship (2020-Present)
  • University of Ottawa International Doctoral Scholarship (2020-2023)     

Publications

  • Undermining Competition, Undermining Markets? The Implications of Digital Personal Data for Competition Policy (with Kean Birch)- (submitted manuscript) in Big Data & Society. Policy Briefs and Reports
  • Rethinking Canada’s Competition Policy in the Digital Economy (with Kean Birch)- A Policy Report funded and Commissioned by the Government of Canada through the SSHRC
  • Challenges of Virtual Trust: A Matter of Cooperation, Education, and Cybersecurity  (co-authored with Maddie Aldridge, Marc Ouellet, Alessandra Puopolo, Danielle Thompson, and Dr. Richard Frank) October 2022. A Human-Centric Cybersecurity Partnership report, funded by SSHRC. Blogs Dr. Tesh Dagne Shines a Light on the Unseen Hands and Invisible (Copy)Rights Behind AI Systems. IP Osgoode Blog (October 4, 2024).
  • Safeguarding Personal Data Should be Key to Competition Reform (with Kean Birch, (Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), March 16, 2023).  
  • Lords of the Platforms: Beyond Banning Twitter, What Else Should Nigeria Do?, (Open African Innovation Research Network (OpenAIR) Blog, August 2, 2021).  
  • Wake up, NIPOST! It’s Antitrust O’clock (with Folakunmi Pinheiro) (Competition Policy International, September 27, 2020).  
  • Coronavirus and Competition Law: A Commentary on the Nigerian Intervention and Lessons from Around the World, (Afronomics Law, May 18, 2020).