Early in my career I never thought I’d ever need one of these personal website thingy, they always felt a bit too extra. But here I am, still pretty early in that aforementioned career.
As time passed – and as my passion got my hand into a lot of pots – having a place on the internet where I could pin and rope all my works became not just necessary, but compulsory to have. So, in December 2023, after thinking about having a portfolio website for a little over a year and tinkering with one too many DIY options, I asked a developer friend to help me out and here we are—ding ding ding.
Alright, I’m Olatunji Olaigbe, a storyteller, and advocacy & development strategist. I have – and continue to – work and volunteer extensively in both the media and development space. I either tell stories, help others tell their stories, or do the raw gritting development work on agriculture, tech, economic inequality, cyber and information security, climate change, and the environment. I focus on the intersection of these topics with the human and often African experience in a way that truly takes the conversation and development forward.
One of the most important parts of my work is journalism. I am a member of the University of Ilorin Union of Campus Journalists and served as the editor-in-chief of the Union in 2022 and 2023. My stories have been featured in high-profile publications including but not limited to Al-Jazeera, Guardian UK, WIRED, VICE, Foreign Policy, The Hustle, and Inkstick Magazine – you can find a more extensive list in the portfolio section. I have also worked as a multimedia reporter and producer.
Through my young career, I have been part of workshops and trainings including the Disarming Disinformation Workshop by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies which was held in Nairobi, the Climate Journalism Workshop hosted by the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development in Lagos, and the 2022 media sensitivity and diversity workshop by the African Young Media Professionals Network, held in Ibadan. I am a 2021 awardee of the United Nations International Organization for Migration’s West and Central Africa Migration Journalism Awards, a 2022 fellow of the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development, and a 2023 fellow of the Wits Center for Journalism.
In the development and advocacy space, I have served as both a comms personnel and advocacy strategist for UNFCCC’s YOUNGO, Brain Builder Youth Development Initiative, and a host of others.
Now and then, I also assist (ethical) corporate organizations in figuring out their story and how to better tell it.
I have reported and written features, op-eds, and news articles for several publications as a freelance journalist. I approach my work as a print journalist with an incredible eye for nuance.
I work as a volunteer, contract staff and occasionally, as a consultant for organizations to help them better their communications and storytelling.
My work as an editor revolves around the author. I think about how to fix ideological flaws, perfect the storytelling, and incorporate storytelling accessories like data visualizations, photographs, etc
I was a volunteer way before I was a journalist or comms personnel. In 2018, I started with a advocacy project for the World Suicide Prevention Day and I’ve not stopped since then.
This is a compilation of awards, fellowships, and grants that I’ve been a part of
United Nations International Organization for Migration
CJID West Africa Climate Reporting Fellowship
Wits Center for Journalism
