Doctoral Researcher
Supervisor/advisor: Prof. Dr. Dr. Patricia Wiater
Contact: abigail.ndooka@fau.de
Short Bio
Abigail Ndooka is a lawyer and development practitioner with expertise spanning international law, human rights, policy advisory, and investment climate reform. She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Rule of Law for Development from Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B. Hons) from the University of Zimbabwe. She is currently a PhD Candidate of the International Doctorate Programme – Business and Human Rights: Governance Challenges in a Complex World at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). Her doctoral research focuses on the Role and Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Business and Human Rights Standards in Southern Africa. Professionally, Abigail has served in advisory and analytical roles across international institutions, including the International Finance Corporation, World Bank, UNDP, UN Women, and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her work has encompassed legal and policy research, monitoring and evaluation, programme and project management, and multi‑stakeholder engagement with governments, civil society, and UN partners. Abigail’s contributions include supporting legal and regulatory reform to enhance private sector growth in emerging markets, advancing gender‑responsive governance, and promoting inclusive legal frameworks for disability inclusion and human rights accountability.
Abigail investigates the intersection of International Investment Law (IIL) and Business and Human Rights (BHR) within the context of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Southern Africa’s extractive sectors. Focusing on South Africa, and Zimbabwe, the study explores how the “investment dimension,” characterized by Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) modalities, and financing, shapes the realization of human rights standards. It seeks to answer how host state governance and international legal frameworks can be “transformed” to ensure that foreign capital contributes to sustainable development without compromising the rights of workers, communities, and the environment.