Ufuoma Barbara Akpotaire

Ufuoma has a Masters of Law degree from Columbia Law School, New York, focused on Human Rights, International law and Securities Regulation. She received her first degree in law from the University of Nigeria (LL.B. Honors) and graduated top of her class in 2004. She was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 2005 and worked as an Associate in one of the largest Firms in Lagos. Her areas of specialization include Human Rights, International law, and commercial practices. She is a member of several bodies including the American Bar Association, Columbia University Amnesty International, the Association of Professional Negotiators and Mediator’s the Nigerian Bar Association and International House New York. She is an assistant editor of Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, and also sits on the board of Columbia University Amnesty International.

Most commented posts

  1. U.N. Women! — 2 comments
  2. Vulture Funds and Sovereign Debts — 1 comment

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Penny Harvest Run for Change

When the earthquake struck Japan, the world was saddened by its catastrophic effects and many organizations, countries and even international bodies all rallied together to contribute to relief efforts. In two of my earlier posts, Help or not Series 1 and Philips Livable Cities Award, I stressed the fact that corporations need to be more …

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Let’s Talk About Malaria

We’ve all heard the phrase: Every 45 seconds, a child dies from malaria.  Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites transmitted by mosquitos. Statistics also show that the number of deaths resulting from this disease has been reduced over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, these statistics serve to remind us that people are still dying from …

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Celebrating Earth Day and A Billion Acts of Green

Today, April 22nd, is celebrated as Earth Day. The idea is to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment and was first celebrated on April 22, 1970. The idea for Earth Day is credited to Gaylord Nelson, a former U.S. Senator, after he witnessed some of the side effects of the 1969 massive …

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Put Food First: The World Bank’s Open Forum

The World Bank has asked us to imagine living on $1.25 a day and spending 85 cents of that to feed our families. I have also read about estimates which state that nearly 1 billion people from around the world go to bed hungry every night.  These are thought-provoking facts but the truth is that …

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Vulture Funds and Sovereign Debts

A couple of years ago, celebrities like Bono and highly respected individuals like Nelson Mandela brought our attention to the importance of debt relief and what such relief might mean to developing countries. Ironically, at the same time, many countries began to understand the importance of having a secondary market for debt especially when dealing …

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Help or Not – Series 1

Microsoft’s Bing Japan Earthquake Tweet That was the tweet that got people asking: Was Microsoft Wrong to Use the Japanese Earthquake for Marketing? It all started with what some people consider the age old scratch my back and I’ll scratch your back concept i.e. to donate $100,000 and at the same time use that effort …

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8th Annual African Economic Forum (AEF)

Friday and Saturday, March 25th & 26th, 2011, were two amazing days in New York City.  On both days, Columbia University held the 8th Annual African Economic Forum (AEF), organized by the graduate school of business, the School of International Public Affairs (SIPA Pan African Network – SPAN), and the Africa Law Students Association at …

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FDA Warns: Raw Milk May Pose Health Risk!

In my post “To test or not to test“, I talked about the possibility of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) beginning tests on milk (from farms that repeatedly sold cows tainted with drug residue).  Well, earlier this month, the FDA put out the above poster as a warning to the public.  Apparently, the FDA …

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The Philips Livable Cities Award

Lately, I have come across a lot of new concepts and initiatives but one  initiative that I feel obligated to share is the Philips Livable Cities Award (PLCA). Under the banner “better cities make better lives”, the PLCA is a global initiative which is designed to encourage individuals, community groups and businesses to develop practical, …

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100 Years!!!

Celebrating International Women’s Day Today, March 8, 2011, marks International Women’s Day (IWD). IWD is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of giving women in society an equal footing with men. It is not only a time for men, women and children to reflect on progress and changes made worldwide but it is also a time …

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