Board Members

Dr. Victoria Nalule
Executive Board Member
Team member

Victoria is the founder and Executive Director of The African Energy and Minerals Management Initiative (AEMI). She is a lawyer and holder of a PhD in Energy Law and Policy; and LLM in Oil and Gas Law both from the Centre for Energy Petroleum Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP), University of Dundee, UK.  Victoria offers extensive experience in the  African Energy and Mining sectors having worked with various international, regional and national organisations/institutions including assignments for: The Queen Mary University of London (EU Energy Project); The Energy Charter Secretariat in Belgium; The African Energy and Minerals Management Initiative (AEMI) in Uganda; The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment in New York (Negotiation Support Portal); the  energy department of the East African Community Secretariat (EAC) in Tanzania ; the University of Dundee in Scotland; the  energy department of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Botswana; Extractive Resource Hub in the UK; International Arbitration Case Law in New York (editor); and NEM energy and mining consultancy in Uganda. She has also worked with both the private and public legal sectors of Uganda including Kakuru & Co. Advocates and the Anti-Corruption Court of Uganda.

Victoria is an author and has published on topics relating to oil, gas, renewable energy, climate change and mining in Africa. Her latest book being “Energy Poverty and Access Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Role of Regionalism. She also has a forthcoming book focusing on mining and the law in Africa. Victoria has also participated as a speaker and panellist in several forums and conferences discussing topics concerning oil and gas; climate change, renewable energy, energy poverty and access just to mention but a few.

Ms. Susan Nakanwangi
Executive Board Member
Team member

Susan is the Assistant Executive Director of the African Energy and Mining Management Initiative (AEMI). She also heads the Women in Energy and Mining Empowerment Program (WEM). Susan is a lawyer and has wide experience and is an expert in the natural resources sector especially the extractive industries. She has carried out extensive research in various aspects of energy, mining, climate change, shared natural resources and sustainable development. Susan has also participated in several conferences, seminars and workshops on extractive industries. She is a practicing advocate and has worked with reputable law firms in Uganda where she amassed knowledge in corporate and general law. These include Tibeingana and Co. Advocates, Zaale Otete and Co. Advocates and Ssesaazi and Co. Advocates.

 

Susan is currently a PhD student at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy – University of Dundee, United Kingdoms. She holds an LLM in Natural Resources Law and Policy (distinction) – University of Dundee; Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Law Development Centre, Uganda; Bachelor of Laws (Honours) – Makerere University. Susan also holds a Certificate of Distinction in ‘Natural Resources for Sustainable Development: The Fundamentals of Oil, Gas and Mining Governance,’ – SDG Academy; and Certificate of Distinction in ‘Climate Action: Solutions for a Changing Planet,’ – SDG Academy

Dr. Ellis Malle
Non-Executive Board Member
Team member

Ellis is an innovative commercial and regulatory lawyer with 4+ years of experience in providing both non-contentious and contentious matters predominantly in capital markets and oil trading sector including the negotiation of long-term crude and petroleum products off-take and supply agreements in many diverse jurisdictions in Africa, the Middle East, and across Europe. She has a strong background in project management and development, market analysis and proposal drafting- shaped through consultative, managerial and operative roles. Adept at client relationship management, negotiating, data analysis and legal research.

Ellis has recently completed a P.h.D in International Law and Economics from Bocconi University, Milan- Italy. Prior to that, Ellis has attained two Legal Master’s degrees in International Trade and Dispute Resolution (LLM in International Trade) , and another in Law, Finance and Economics, both from an International Diplomatic University in Turin, the ITC-ILO.

Ellis has worked  with international organisations, academic institutions and private sectors, both in Europe and Africa advising on matters related to energy policies, compliance and regulatory as well as contracts disputes. Further, she has also  authored a number of articles and co-authored books in international law, foreign direct investment, financial derivatives, international economic law, and energy related issues, with particular

Professor Rafael Leal-Arcas
Non-Executive Board Member
Team member

Rafael is Professor of European and International Economic Law, a Jean Monnet Chair holder (awarded by the European Commission), and Director of Research at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies of Queen Mary University of London. Dr Leal-Arcas’s research is funded by the EU Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, most notably a grant of EUR14 million as part of a consortium of 21 institutions to work on renewable energy and smart grids.

Rafael is author of the books EU Trade Law (Elgar, 2019), Energy Security, Trade and the EU: Regional and International Perspectives (Edward Elgar, 2016), The European Energy Union: The quest for secure, affordable and sustainable energy (Claeys & Casteels Publishing, 2016), International Energy Governance: Selected Legal Issues (Edward Elgar, 2014), Climate Change and International Trade (Edward Elgar, 2013), International Trade and Investment Law: Multilateral, Regional and Bilateral Governance (Edward Elgar, 2010) and Theory and Practice of EC External Trade Law and Policy (Cameron May, 2008) and the editor or co-editor of the Commentary on the Energy Charter Treaty (Edward Elgar, 2018), University Initiatives in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (Springer, 2018), Research Handbook on EU energy law and policy (Edward Elgar, 2017).

He has served in the Sustainable Energy for All Secretariat (Washington, DC), the Energy Community Secretariat, the Energy Charter Secretariat, the World Trade Organization, and several EU institutions (EU Commission, EU Parliament, EU Council, EU Court of Justice). He is the author of more than 160 scholarly publications on international trade and WTO law, climate change law, energy governance, EU law, international investment law and the interaction among them in American and European law reviews such as the Columbia Journal of European Law, Georgetown Environmental Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, The George Washington International Law Review, Fordham International Law Journal, Chicago Journal of International Law, Legal Issues of Economic Integration, European Foreign Affairs Review, and Journal of World Energy Law and Business (Oxford University Press).

Rafael has been a Global Research Fellow at New York University School of Law (Hauser Global Law School Program); Visiting Fellow at the World Trade Institute; Visiting Scholar at Georgetown University Law Center; Scholar at Masdar Institute at Khalifa University (Abu Dhabi); Tillar House Resident Fellow at the American Society of International Law; Visiting Researcher at Harvard Law School and Fellow at the Real Colegio Complutense (Harvard University); Emile Noël Doctoral Fellow at New York University School of Law; Fellow at the Australian National University; and Visiting Scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.

He teaches International economic law; Trade, climate change and energy law; International trade and investment law; and EU external relations law. He received his graduate legal education at Stanford Law School, Columbia Law School, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the European University Institute (Florence).

Mr. KWABENA ATA
Non-Executive Board Member
Team member

Kwabena graduated from the University of Ghana in 1994 and 2001 with Bsc Geology and MBA degrees and holds also a post graduate diploma in Resource Estimation, Mining and Quarrying from the Paris School of Mines (2010). He is currently a PhD Researcher in the field of Natural Resource Management at the Centre for Energy Petroleum Mining Law and Policy (CEPMLP) of the University of Dundee. His strength is in the assessment and acquisition of all kinds of metals and minerals licences and also in Economic Geology and Resource Economics for both Mineral and Hydrocarbon Deposits.

His current areas of expertise being Natural Resource Evaluation, Natural Resource Management, especially in the field of Community & Stakeholder Engagements and Artisanal Mining. Under Policy and Law his interests are in Local Content and Revenue Management Policy and Law.

He founded KAM ASSOCIATES LIMITED Company in Ghana and Sierra Leone to service the West African Exploration and Mining Industry some 20 years ago, Aurrum Resources Limited in Ghana some nine years ago and Claramy Quarry Limited Company some five years ago as part of a natural growth strategy into West Africa.

He brings to his numerous clients and this project close to two decades of strong field experience spearheading successful exploration and mining programmes on both grassroots and advanced projects across West Africa form where he has gained a strong grasp of issues of mining along the entire value chain notably, license allocation & management, exploration & mining, community & stakeholder engagements, corporate social responsibility, artisanal mining and revenue rent allocation and management.

Kwabena currently consults for governments , both junior and major companies and CSO in the extractive industries across Africa.

MS. MARIAM KIGGUNDU
Non-Executive Board Member
Team member

Mariam is a statistician/economist by education and profession. She is currently a Senior Economist in the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. She is a founding member of the Dundee Student Chapter of British Institute of Energy Economics. Mariam has participated in a number of international energy forums such as the 2 nd Dundee Energy Summit – Dundee, the 41 st International Association of Energy Economics – Groningen.
She holds an Msc. International Energy Studies and Energy Economics (Distinction) – University of Dundee, United Kingdom; Bachelor of Statistics – Makerere University, Uganda; Certificate in project planning; and numerous certificates in Public Debt management and analysis.