Dr Manu Lekunze

Biography

Dr Manu Lekunze is Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Aberdeen, specialising in security studies. He is the author of Nigerian Security: The Tragedy of Latent Great Powers (Bristol University Press). His research examines how states and sub-state actors compete through, and under the shadow of, war. Current work explores competition involving Russia, China, and the United States in Africa and the Middle East. It contributes to international relations theory on how great powers behave toward small powers.

He has published on maritime strategy, intelligence, insurgency, grand strategy, national security and African security. His work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals including Third World Quarterly, Comparative Strategy and the Canadian Journal of African Studies. Dr Lekunze has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the British Academy and the Scottish Funding Council.

Dr Lekunze organises Conversations on African Security, which convenes leading African security experts and practitioners to discuss African security issues. In addition to the UK, seminars were held in Abuja, Nigeria, Accra, Ghana, and Bamako, Mali. In October 2024, Conversations on African Security hosted Ghana’s Minister for National Security.

Dr Lekunze has provided invited briefings to governments, intergovernmental organisations, and NGOs internationally. The BBC, CNN, Time Magazine and Al Jazeera have featured his analysis.

Research Overview

• International relations theory
• International security
• Nationalism
• War and Conflict in Africa and the Middle East.

Current Research

My current research explores competition involving Russia, China, and the United States in Africa and the Middle East. It contributes to international relations theory on how great powers behave toward small powers.

I maintain an ongoing commitment to analysing how developments in Africa and the Middle East shape the United Kingdom's strategic environment and, consequently, British grand strategy in these regions.

Past Research

My recent research examined the relationship between education and national security in Nigeria and Cameroon. The research has yielded recommendations for innovative policies on how to use formal education systems and content to contribute to peace, security, and prosperity. It also developed Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses to teach stakeholders how to use educational content and systems to promote peaceful coexistence and political stability in security-challenged societies.

Previously, my research adapted strategic realism to analyse the security of small powers, which core IR theories often overlook. It leveraged Nigeria’s experience in domestic, regional, and international politics to provide evidence for a version of strategic realism better suited to analysing all types of powers across geographies and multiple levels of analysis. This theoretical work built on earlier work, which used complexity theory to examine Cameroon’s security. Insights from complexity science helped the interpretation and adaptation of existing structural realist theories, allowing me to develop my version of strategic realism.

Teaching Responsibilities

Maritime Security

African Security

Introduction to International Relations