Apeike Umolu

Apeike is a historian of political thought of the 19th century. Her research focuses on exploring theories of nation, state, and citizenship in the pan-African world. She is currently both an Arts and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Scholar in the Faculty of History and an Alexander Crummell PhD Scholar at Queens’ College. Her PhD thesis is provisionally titled An Intellectual History of Patriotism in the Pan-African World, 1850-1925.

Prior to starting her PhD, Apeike completed an MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History at the University of Cambridge where she was a Cambridge Trust Scholar at Wolfson College. Her MPhil thesis explored the politics of knowledge in the political thought of Edward Blyden. She previously completed her undergraduate degree at King’s College London, a graduate diploma and a postgraduate diploma in Law at BPP Law School, and a foundation certificate in History at the University of Oxford. Prior to re-training as a historian, Apeike was a banking and finance lawyer. She retains an interest in legal history, with a particular interest in constitutionalism across the pan-African world.

Apeike is the Director of the African History Project, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to widening access to African history. The Project has over 3000 members and works with leading universities, policy institutes, and publishers to deliver its programming. In addition, Apeike sits on the Education Advisory Board of the Royal African Society. She has collaborated with the University of Bristol to deliver teacher training, the Africa Centre London to debate issues of Pan-African cooperation, and with the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg to chair discussions on the history of Pan-Africanism.