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Olamide Samuel

Special Envoy of the Executive Secretary of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE)

Twitter: @olamideDIY

YGLN Membership

Dr Olamide Samuel is a Special Envoy of the Executive Secretary of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE). He is also an Honorary Fellow at the University of Leicester. Previously, Olamide led the European Leadership Network’s ‘Protecting the Non-Proliferation Treaty‘ programme during his Policy Fellowship. Olamide completed his Postdoctoral research as a Research Associate in Nuclear Politics at the University of Leicester, and as a Senior Teaching Fellow at SOAS University of London. While at SOAS, Olamide lectured in the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, teaching MA courses on International Security, and Diplomatic Practice. In addition, Olamide led the university’s global nuclear disarmament programme, SCRAP Weapons, from 2019 to 2021. He led the programme’s efforts to strengthen arms control diplomacy at the United Nations and African Union.

In 2020, Olamide was appointed as a member of the Vatican Covid-19 Security Task Force inaugurated by Pope Francis. In this capacity, he convened the Global #FreezeWeapons Campaign which was adopted by the Holy See. Olamide has worked closely with various states, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), and the Managing the Atom Project at Harvard University, to advance nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. He sits on the advisory boards of various non-profit organisations, including the Nuclear Information Service, demilitarise education, 1.2 Diaries, Centre de Recherche et d’Information pour le Désarmement et Sécurité, among others.

Olamide holds an MA in Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy (2015), and a PhD in Security and Intelligence (2019), both from the University of Buckingham’s Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS). He also holds a B.ILD in International Law and Diplomacy, from Babcock University (2009).

Olamide’s regularly comments on security and defense issues to global media outlets, and has been featured on Al-Jazeera, The BBC, France 24, allAfrica, ChannelsTV and more.

 Expertise:

  • Nuclear Risk Reduction
  • Nuclear Safety and Security
  • Security and Intelligence Tradecraft and Machinery
  • Multilateral Diplomatic Practice

Content by Olamide Samuel

Report

Protecting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in turbulent times: Commentary collection

This commentary collection compiles 15 articles by 18 ELN network members and external collaborators as part of the ELN’s Protecting the Non-Proliferation Treaty project. The collection was originally published for the 2024 NPT Preparatory Committee.

31 July 2024 | Oliver Meier, Michael Biontino, Sanaa Alvira, Shizuka Kuramitsu, Olamide Samuel, Dr Irmgard Niemeyer, Maren Vieluf, Ananya Agustin Malhotra, Ward Wilson, Paul Ingram, Adam Thomson, Julia Berghofer, Alexander Kmentt, Pavel Podvig, Maximilian Hoell, Tarja Cronberg, Rishi Paul and Daniel Ajudeonu
Multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferationNPT Project
Commentary

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to threaten the nuclear order’s grand bargain

On the second anniversary of Putin’s war in Ukraine, Olamide Samuel writes that the invasion has upset the fragile balance of obligations in the NPT’s bargain by dramatically increasing the perceived salience of nuclear weapons and reigniting motivations for proliferation. In response, nuclear weapon states choosing to reinforce their extended deterrence commitments inadvertently devalues the wider framework of security assurances granted to non-nuclear weapon states and the perceived value of the NPT’s grand bargain.

27 February 2024 | Olamide Samuel
Global SecurityMultilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation
See all content by Olamide Samuel