Victor Amadi

Affiliate Researcher in the Migration Governance Reform Program

Victor Amadi is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Comparative Law in Africa (CCLA) at the University of Cape Town (UCT). He holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB), an LLM, and a Doctorate in Mercantile and Labour Law from the University of the Western Cape (UWC). His research focuses on trade, regional integration, and development in Africa, with a particular emphasis on the free movement of people within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). His doctoral thesis explored how facilitating intra-regional trade through free movement contributes to regional integration, aligning with the New South Institute’s (NSI) mission to improve governance and strengthen state institutions.

Victor’s expertise in comparative law and his research into regional trade and integration play a crucial role in NSI’s efforts to address governance challenges in Africa. His academic contributions and his work as the managing editor of the Journal of Comparative Law in Africa strengthen NSI’s capacity to engage with complex governance issues. As a passionate advocate for practical, evidence-based solutions, Victor brings valuable insights that contribute to NSI’s work in shaping more effective, transparent, and accountable public institutions across Africa. His publication, Trade, Migration and Law: Free Movement of People in the Southern African Development Community (Routledge, 2022), further supports NSI’s goal of providing actionable research that drives positive change in the region.

Publications

Scholarly Articles

1. Amadi, V. (2023). A flexible approach to enabling the free movement of people in Southern Africa. Comparative International Law Journal of Southern Africa. (Forthcoming)
2. Amadi, V., & Vundamina, M. N. D. (2023). Migration and climate change in Africa: A differentiated approach through the free movement of people frameworks. Law, Democracy and Development, 27, 31-54.
3. Amadi, V., & Lenaghan, V. (2020). Facilitating trade and strengthening market access in the Southern African Customs Union: A focus on South Africa’s customs reform. South African Mercantile Law Journal, 32(3), 309-333.
4. Amadi, V., & Lenaghan, P. (2020). Advancing regional integration through the movement of people in the Southern African Development Community. Speculum Juris, 34(1), 51-67.

Books

1. Amadi, V. (2022). Trade, migration, and law: Free movement of persons in the Southern African Development Community. (1st ed.). Routledge, London.

Book Chapters

1. Hirsch, A., & Amadi, V. (2022). Can Africa accelerate initiatives towards the freer movement of Africans in Africa? In F. Mangeni, J. Atta-Mensah, & United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) (Eds.), Existential priorities for the AfCFTA (pp. 117-127). UNECA, Addis Ababa. Retrieved from https://repository.uneca.org/bitstream/handle/10855/47860/b12015659.pdf

Policy Documents

1. Amadi, V. (2025). An Analysis of Migration Governance Frameworks in West Africa: Focus on the Economic Community of West African States – ECOWAS (NSI Policy Paper). New South Institute. 
2. Amadi, V. (2024). An analysis of migration governance frameworks in Nigeria (NSI Policy Paper). New South Institute. Retrieved from https://nsi.org.za/publications/nsi-nigeria-migration-governance-report/

Editorials

1. Amadi, V. (2024, July 4). Nigeria’s migration policy: Lots of laws but no coherence and poor implementation. The Conversation Africa.