Olufemi Elias is a Nigerian international lawyer and academic who has served in various senior legal roles within international organizations, including the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Elias is also a member of the Institut de Droit International.
Early life and education Olufemi Elias was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He received his early education at Corona School and Igbobi College in Lagos. He studied law at the University of Oxford, followed by a Master of Laws degree at the University of Cambridge, and earned a doctorate in law from University College London. Elias was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988.
Career Elias has held several senior legal positions in international organizations. As of 2025, he serves as President of the Administrative Tribunal of the OPEC Fund for International Development and Chair of the Administrative Tribunal of the Islamic Development Bank. He previously served as President of the Appeals Committee of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). From 2017 to 2020, Elias served as Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) at the level of Assistant Secretary-General. His earlier roles included Legal Adviser and Director at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Executive Secretary of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal, Senior Legal Officer at the OPCW, Legal Adviser to the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), and Judge for Staff Appeals at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Elias is a visiting professor of international law at Queen Mary University of London. In 2020, he was nominated as a candidate in the election for judges of the International Court of Justice but was not elected. Elias's contributions to international administrative justice have drawn attention from independent legal analysts. In 2023, This Day reported that, under his leadership, the OPEC Fund Administrative Tribunal had enhanced its "role in global arbitration", highlighting a growing trust in his oversight of complex dispute resolution processes. His legal expertise has been recognized by peer communities. In 2018, the American Society of International Law elected him as an Honorary Member, a distinction reserved for those who have made "substantive and sustained contributions to international law". During his tenure as Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), Premium Times noted Elias's role in modernizing legacy tribunal processes, describing his efforts as "central to establishing a secure digital archive that enhanced procedural transparency". In 2022, Elias was appointed to an IMF review panel on institutional safeguards, following international concern over governance practices; the article underscored his reputation for "judicial rigor and administrative reform". His appointment to the AALCO arbitration panel in 2022 was covered by The Guardian Nigeria, which praised Elias for bringing "extensive UN tribunal experience" to cross-regional legal engagement. Elias's other activities include membership in the International Gender Champions (IGC), advisory roles with the International Arbitration Review, former position as Secretary General of the African Association of International Law, and editorial board membership with the African Journal of International and Comparative Law. He is also a member of the International Law Association and life member of the Nigerian Society of International Law. Elias received the Igbobi College Old Boys' Association Merit Award for Professional Achievement.
== References ==