Meet our Alumni: Temi Onifade, LLM'16

Temitope Onifade, LLM’16 has always had a passion for research and teaching. As an undergraduate student at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, he tutored fellow law students, and was a student researcher for several organizations at the university.

“I had other interests, too,” says Temi. “I was a member of Alpha Dancers and performed as part of various dance teams, led the National Youth Service Band in Nigeria, and was also a competitive table tennis player. However, my interest in research and teaching eventually prevailed, so I decided to go for an LLM after earning my LLB. Not to say I still can’t make some elegant dance or table tennis moves!”

Temi capitalized on his talent and completed his Master of Law’s at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law in 2016, a school he chose for two main reasons – its focus on energy and environmental law, which he had practiced in Nigeria, and the school’s international reputation and national leadership in the area.

“The University of Calgary and the city of Calgary are unarguably the most suitable places in Canada to study this area of the law,” says Temi. “Additionally, I had read about the reputation of Professor Al Lucas in this area, and I wanted him to supervise me in the program. I got lucky when I also met Professor Fenner Stewart, and was able to be mentored and supervised by two great faculty members.”

Prior to coming to Calgary, Temi was a lecturer at Memorial University of Newfoundland, teaching environmental law in the Sustainable Resource Management and Environmental Science programs. He was also completing his Master of Arts in Environmental Policy at the Environmental Policy Institute, at Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus, where he worked on research projects for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Once Temi arrived in Calgary, he really appreciated the format of the LLM program the law school had to offer.

“As an LLM student, you take a course on methodology and another on theory, both of which help you prepare various aspects of your thesis. It is a lot of hard work and a huge time commitment, but the course design allowed me to complete my research more quickly,” says Temi. “After eight months, I already had a rough draft of the majority of my thesis, and had finalized the rough draft and finished my course work in ten months!”

Temi can’t overstate the great mentorship opportunities available at the University of Calgary, which was a huge factor in his success.

“I had (and still have) excellent mentors in Professors Lucas and Stewart. The reality is that success is not all about merit; one really needs people to take a genuine interest in you and help when needed. I still maintain a very good relationship with both professors, and they are willing to involve me in activities and write letters of reference. In fact, so many professors at the law school, notably Professors Jonnette Hamilton and Gregory Hagen, have taken a genuine interest in my research and success, and have added value to my life and career in diverse ways. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to benefit from such benevolent people at the University of Calgary.”

Temi’s LLM thesis, titled “Regulating Natural Resource Funds” examined how natural resource funds – monies that governments save from the exploitation (development, lease, sale, etc.) of natural resources – are regulated. Temi is currently completing his PhD at the University of British Columbia, and is interested in pursuing a career as a law professor, law and policy analyst, or lawyer.

Prior to coming to Calgary, Temi was a lecturer at Memorial University of Newfoundland, teaching environmental law in the Sustainable Resource Management and Environmental Science programs. He was also completing his Master of Arts in Environmental Policy at the Environmental Policy Institute, at Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus, where he worked on research projects for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Once Temi arrived in Calgary, he really appreciated the format of the LLM program the law school had to offer.

“As an LLM student, you take a course on methodology and another on theory, both of which help you prepare various aspects of your thesis. It is a lot of hard work and a huge time commitment, but the course design allowed me to complete my research more quickly,” says Temi. “After eight months, I already had a rough draft of the majority of my thesis, and had finalized the rough draft and finished my course work in ten months!”

Temi can’t overstate the great mentorship opportunities available at the University of Calgary, which was a huge factor in his success.

“I had (and still have) excellent mentors in Professors Lucas and Stewart. The reality is that success is not all about merit; one really needs people to take a genuine interest in you and help when needed. I still maintain a very good relationship with both professors, and they are willing to involve me in activities and write letters of reference. In fact, so many professors at the law school, notably Professors Jonnette Hamilton and Gregory Hagen, have taken a genuine interest in my research and success, and have added value to my life and career in diverse ways. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to benefit from such benevolent people at the University of Calgary.”

Temi’s LLM thesis, titled “Regulating Natural Resource Funds” examined how natural resource funds – monies that governments save from the exploitation (development, lease, sale, etc.) of natural resources – are regulated. Temi is currently completing his PhD at the University of British Columbia, and is interested in pursuing a career as a law professor, law and policy analyst, or lawyer.