Youth Research

Tufayl Olamilekan Adelakun is an aspiring diplomat and a young, enthusiastic policy cum academic researcher with a keen interest in digital humanities, public policy, public and parliamentary diplomacy and Sustainable Development (SDGs 4: Quality Education, SDGs 5: Gender Equality, and SDGs 16 : Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Tufayl has a cross cutting background in the public sector through his experience working as an intern at the National Assembly, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).

Tufayl recently joined the International Council on Human Rights, Peace and Politics as a Research Fellow where he has demonstrated strong commitment to SDGs 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions which has enriched him with the practical knowledge of policy gaps in the approach to peaceful coexistence, youth marginalization, gender equality, amongst others. Through this background, Tufayl has facilitated research initiatives such as webinars, conferences, and advocacy campaigns to address 21st century challenges.

Tufayl emerged in 2024 amongst 39 young Nigerians across the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria into the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) Legislative Internship Programme funded by the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS. Assigned to the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Tufayl gained extensive exposure to Nigeria’s national security landscape and a nuanced understanding of national policies.

Tufayl has demonstrated passion for global issues which have been demonstrated in his various research papers across these fields. Most recently, Tufayl explored gendered perspectives plaguing internally displaced women in northeast Nigeria across three of the most affected states – Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe. His interest in transforming National museums in Nigeria through well informed national policy inspired his publication titled “The Museum and Digital Transformation: Reforming National Museums in Nigeria Towards a New Normal"

Mustapha Salihu is a PhD candidate in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. His research focuses on drug discovery and development (3D) for the treatment of snakebite envenomation (SBE)—a neglected tropical disease with devastating health and economic impacts across rural communities in Africa.

Recently, Mustapha was awarded a prestigious PhD research fellowship by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), through its Ministerial Committee on Science and Technology (COMSTECH). This fellowship enables him to conduct part of his research at the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia—one of Asia’s leading research institutes.

Mustapha’s interest in SBE was sparked by the urgent need for effective, affordable treatments. Snakebite envenomation remains a major public health crisis in many African regions, where victims often rely on traditional herbal remedies due to the high cost and limited availability of hospital care. The only specific treatment currently available—monovalent or polyvalent antivenins derived from immunized animals—poses several challenges, including high cost, limited accessibility, and serious side effects such as anaphylactic shock, serum sickness, and pyrogenic reactions. Moreover, the fragile nature of antivenins requires cold-chain storage, which is often unavailable in rural areas due to unreliable electricity.

In response to these challenges, Mustapha is working to identify bioactive, druggable compounds from Nigerian medicinal plants that could serve as the foundation for a plant-based antivenin. His research aims to provide a scientifically validated, accessible, and cost-effective alternative for snakebite treatment—potentially transforming the landscape of SBE therapy in Africa.

Mustapha is also a Fellow of the Innovation to Transform Education Training conducted by Future Perspectives and UNESCO IESALC focused on EdTech.