Dr Feyi Ogunade: BA Ed (USL); LLb Hons (Lond); MA (Human Rights, Lond); LLM (International Law, UEL – magna cum laude); MA Journalism. (Lond); Dip. Media law (Lond); MA (Int. Rel. Bristol); DPhil (York)

Executive Director & Founder of AU Watch

Dr Feyi Ogunade was previously a Senior Legal Advisor at the African Union leading work on the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa. In his 30 years as a (motivational) speaker, journalist, human rights activist, political commentator, international lawyer, university lecturer, fundraiser, and consultant
Feyi has taken CSOs of all sizes to new heights – and earned an international reputation for excellence in the process. Feyi serves on several company boards and advisory committees for non-profit organizations, and is actively involved in numerous development initiatives across Africa.

Through his work as a Coach and Mentor / Consultant and Advisor / Teacher and Trainer, he has worked to empower leaders, change-makers, and advocates. He has over 30 years hands-on experience in social justice issues, championing and transforming the rights and lives of courageous individuals and communities, via NGOs, non-profits and community-based organisations, academia, the private sector, international organisations such as the AU and UN, social entrepreneurship, and independent consulting. He is an experienced and accomplished speaker, writer, management and fundraising consultant and trainer with an entrepreneurial flair. He offers a unique combination of practical and theoretical experience in the voluntary and private sectors having specialised in international human rights / humanitarian law, journalism and international relations.

Feyi is an experienced journalist and was Deputy Editor of a daily tabloid, ‘The New Shaft’ newspaper. He was also a sports and current affairs producer and presenter at the Atlantic Broadcasting Corporation (ABC FM) FM radio station. He also ran the public relations offices of the West African Examinations Council and the University of Sierra Leone. Feyi is a founding member of Amnesty International, Sierra Leone and was a Member of the Board for many years. As Senior Legal Advisor Officer (Promotion) & Special Assistant to the Chairperson of the African Commission, his task at the African Commission was to provide the Commission with a pro-active integrated approach of promoting and protecting human rights in Africa, including disseminating human rights information, designing and delivering country and regional human rights projects, researching and organising human rights events and campaigns. He provided the African Union specific advice on advocacy, media and promotion matters relating to human rights, including developing and maintaining effective partnerships and relations at the regional and municipal levels with governmental officials, political actors, civil society, regional actors, and organisations, and the wider AU and UN system. As head of the legal team at the African Commission, Feyi supervised the writing of some of the leading cases at the African Commission.

His international legal consulting practice focuses on international human rights, public international law, international relations, development, gender, advocacy, and lobbying. In his consulting, advising and mentoring work, he works with a wide array of organisations and individuals many of them in regional and international human rights and humanitarian organisations. His clients include lawyers and policy advisors to organizations, project and program managers, and staff at all levels of UN, NGOs and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), and range in levels of experience from aspiring and wanna-be world-changers and current interns, to managers and directors.

Feyi is passionate about nourishing and connecting regional change-makers seeking to establish or deepen their careers in the international sector, particularly in human rights, advocacy, international law and international affairs. He loves to help current and aspiring leaders develop their full potential.

Feyi is an experienced pig and chicken farmer and has established one of the largest pig and chicken farm in West Africa – Farm Aphrika. Farm Aphrika is a social enterprise with the goal of practically transforming change and inspiring and empowering African farmers and entrepreneurs to contribute in ending Africa’s vicious cycle of hopelessness, helplessness, hunger and poverty.

In 2012 he was awarded the Farmer of the Year Award from the Association of Pig Breeders for major long-term contributions in the field, especially his contributions in helping to alleviate poverty in West Africa. Feyi and the staff at Farm Aphrika are motivated by the scale of social injustice in Africa (mostly self-inflicted), and by our belief that agriculture is three times more effective in reducing or even eliminating poverty and privation.

Feyi is also a playwright, poet and director

To contact Feyi, please email him at [email protected]