Fajobi Michael Ayobami is a Researcher and PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Covenant University. He holds a master’s degree in political science, specialising in International Relations, from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. During his master’s studies, he was awarded the 2022 Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) Award by the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria, in recognition of his academic excellence and to support his postgraduate education. His research interests include environmental security, natural resource governance, global energy politics, African studies, and regional integration.

His work is driven by a commitment to advancing evidence-based policy research and addressing pressing governance and development challenges across Africa. He is equally passionate about raising a new generation of African leaders through scholarship and mentoring, viewing education as a catalyst for sustainable transformation on the continent. As an emerging scholar, Michael is dedicated to contributing to knowledge production in Africa through rigorous qualitative research that generates meaningful academic and policy impact. His work reflects a strong belief in the role of research, education, and collaboration in shaping informed policies and advancing scholarship in Africa.

Kabiru Shaaibu is a PhD researcher at the Centre for Peace and Security Studies (CPSS) at Lagos State University, Nigeria. He holds a B.Scin International Relations with first class honours from Bayero University Kano (2018) and M.A in Strategic Studies from University of Maiduguri (2023). Kabiru also obtained a PGD in Criminology and Security Studies from the National Open University of Nigeria in 2024.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Kabiru has extensive professional experience in security, intelligence and conflict management, which informs his research interests in human security, insurgency, peace and conflict studies, global security and geopolitics. Kabiru is currently pursuing PhD in Peace and Security Studies, with a doctoral dissertation titled “The Role of State and Non-State Actors in Addressing Banditry and Kidnapping in Zamfara and Katsina States (2016-2026).”

His research project seeks to evaluate the efficacy of security mechanisms and frameworks against insecurity and broader implications for human security and peacebuilding in Zamfara and Katsina States. Through his work, Kabiru Shaaibu aims to bridge the gap between security practice and scholarly research thereby advancing better understanding of contemporary security dynamics in Nigeria and contributing evidence-based insights to policy discussions towards sustainable conflict resolution in Africa.

Jane Waruguru Kimathi is a Kenyan Catholic nun and PhD student in the Institute of Social Transformation at Tangaza University, Nairobi, Kenya. She serves as the part-time Director of Programs at the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies and a Master of Arts in Peace Studies and International Relations from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and is currently completing an online Master of Arts in Religion, Science, and Philosophy at Global Ministries University, USA. She has over fifteen years of experience in peacebuilding, conflict transformation, human rights advocacy, interreligious dialogue, refugee protection, gender justice, and community development across Africa. She has led programs, peacebuilding and advocacy initiatives on refugee inclusion, human trafficking, gender-based violence, and women’s participation in peace and conflict resolution. Her research interests include governance dynamics, community participation, and social transformation among refugee women in post-encampment transition contexts. She has presented at international conferences and published on human trafficking, safeguarding, women in peacebuilding, and social justice. Through her scholarship and practice, she advances justice, reconciliation, gender equality, and sustainable peace and development.

Ithabeleng Mokoena is an emerging Environmental and Social History scholar and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in the Department of History at Rhodes University, South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Development Studies and Environmental History and a Master of Arts in African History, both from the National University of Lesotho. Her research experience includes archival research, work in Environmental Impact Assessment-related projects and conducting oral history interviews within community-based research context. Her academic work is grounded in interdisciplinary and decolonial approaches, with a particular emphasis on “history from below” and the recovery of local and marginalized narratives in Lesotho’s historical record. She has a strong research interest in resource governance, land relations, and the socio-political dimensions of environmental change. Her work contributes to broader scholarly debates in African Environmental History; particularly those concerned with lived experience, extractive economies, and historically informed approaches to environmental governance.