Dr. Soji Akomolafe

Dr. Soji Akomolafe is Professor of International Relations and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Norfolk State University. He earned a B.A. in French and English from the University of Lagos, an M.S. in International Relations from the University of Ife, and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Bordeaux, France.

Dr. Akomolafe has held several leadership roles in higher education, including Director of the Center for Global Education at Norfolk State University and Director of International Programs at LeMoyne-Owen College. He has served intermittently on the Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads since 2004, including two terms as Vice President.

He is the co-author of two books, has contributed nine chapters to edited volumes, and is currently completing a book on the Nigerian government’s response to the Boko Haram insurgency. His international experience includes extensive professional engagement across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, where he has established lasting academic partnerships.

American influence in Africa is not disappearing, but it is no longer dominant. It is contracting, shifting, and fragmenting across sectors—strong in some areas, lagging in others. What is emerging is a selective, often contested influence shaped by rising African agency. This reflects not simple decline, but a broader rebalancing in a multipolar environment.