Interview by Elaine Smith
Mariam Momodu (SJD 2024)
Thesis: "Legal Perspectives on “Bottom-Up” Regional Integration in Africa: An Analysis of Non-State Actors and Transnational Private Regulatory Regimes Within the Context of African Regional Integration"
Supervisor: Jointly supervised by Professor Mariana Mota Prado and Professor Emeritus Michael J. Trebilcock
Selected Awards: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship; Commonwealth Shared Scholarship; University of Cambridge, Cambridge Trust Scholarship; Delta Kappa Gamma Scholarship; PEO International Peace Scholarship; valedictorian, University of Ibadan; received 13 corporate awards upon graduation.
Growing up, Mariam Momodu, a recent Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) graduate, considered following a different career path from her mother and sister, who are both lawyers. Eventually, however, considering her talents and goals, she decided that being a lawyer was a good career choice.
“I realized I had the foundational skills such as analysis, persuasion, reading and writing, as well as the drive to do something positive in society,” Momodu says. “I decided to use law as an instrument for change. I clearly saw that an understanding of the law and the ability to shape the law was a fantastic tool to make the change I wanted to see in the world.”
She attended law school at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria where she was at the top of her class and the president of the law students’ society. While working toward her Bachelor of Laws (LLB), “it became clearer that I could use the law to find ways to enhance economic opportunities for developing countries,” a cause dear to her.
Afterward, while working at a prestigious corporate law firm in Nigeria, Momodu assisted in writing a UN paper addressing infrastructure financing in Africa and learned about the concept of regional economic integration in Africa.
“In learning more about regional economic integration in Africa, I discovered how difficult it was to move goods within the continent,” Momodu says. “I was fascinated to learn that although there were numerous regional economic treaties, the percentage of trade between African countries was very low.
“I couldn’t get this out of my mind and it became the seed for my doctoral research.”
First, she earned a master's (LLM) in commercial law from the University of Cambridge and returned to Nigeria to work as a corporate in-house counsel. But her interests eventually led her to the University of Toronto Faculty of Law to pursue her SJD. Her dissertation focused on a concept she calls a bottom-up approach to regional economic integration in Africa from a legal perspective.
“Regional economic integration is often viewed from a top-down, state-centric perspective,” Momodu says. “I’m in no way saying this top-down approach isn’t relevant, but I aimed to show that it isn’t the complete picture. Integration involves non-state actors, particularly the private sector, and they often work without relying on those treaties.”
Momodu explored the workings of three industries – banking, film and retail – and discovered that they relied on more informal means of doing business or operating using standards or contractual means. Using theoretical models relevant to Africa, she categorized what she was seeing while providing concrete examples of what is actually happening in trade.
“The future is so bright,” she says. “By 2050, a quarter of the world will be African, so there’s a sense of urgency to plan. There are opportunities for Africa to contribute in a more significant way to global trade and business.”
Momodu is currently serving as an associate at Dentons Canada, in the corporate group, where she supports clients from various parts of the world on mergers and acquisitions and venture-technology financings. Looking back, she cherishes her time at U of T Law.
“I can’t thank my supervisors enough,” Momodu says. “When I came into the SJD program, I had an understanding of the concepts and passion for my work, but it takes more than that to produce a great dissertation.
“From Day One, they saw me as a colleague, and I had no choice but to rise up and meet their expectations. They supported me every step of the way, through my research and life events, too.”
Supplied photo
