AFOLABI ADEKAIYAOJA

About Me

My name is Afolabi Adekaiyaoja, and I am a Nigerian writer and researcher. My writing focuses on African politics and the interaction between society and state, especially concerning ideas of leadership and governance. I write and speak publicly on a variety of topics. My public-facing thoughts often emerge through my long reads on various platforms.

Currently I...

...am a Predoctoral Research Consultant at the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD), where I work on a project that examines the relationship between the roles of chiefs, taxation, and broader citizen engagement. I am also a volunteer editor for The Archivist, a project by Archiving, and I support various initiatives within the media landscape.

Before joining ICTD, I worked as a research analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), where my primary focus included election, political, security, and regional analyses in West Africa. Previously, I consulted for the Tony Blair Institute at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, actively supporting policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic response as a technical assistant to the agency's director-general. I have also been employed at Africapractice, helping multinational clients navigate political risks, and I completed an internship at the African Union Mission to the United Nations in New York. 

Before I did a couple stuff that you can...

... see on LinkedIn, including research at the Centre for Democracy and Development, policy at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, interning at Africapractice and the African Union Mission to the United Nations and once chairing the board of Europe’s largest Model UN conference. 

I have presented papers at various conferences focused on African studies. Additionally, I provide insights and commentary as a moderator and panellist at these gatherings. My research and writing have been published in outlets such as Foreign Policy, World Politics Review, Al Jazeera, Democracy in Africa, African Arguments, Africa is a Country, The Continent, Culture Custodian, Stears Business, TechCabal, and Premium Times, as well as contributing to a report in the BMJ Global Health Journal. I have also been interviewed by Asharq, Al Jazeera, Arise Television, BBC News, CNN, Channels Television, Financial Times, Le Monde, Nikkei, Newzroom Afrika, Semafor, The Guardian, and Voice of America regarding topics related to African democracy.

My interests include...

...understanding how effective ethnic identities are in politics, especially in their manifestation in state-society relations and activities such as protest movements, traditional authorities, and political participation. I also research reviewing democracy and development in West African countries, as well as the strength of regional and international organisations.

I hold an MSc in African Politics from SOAS, University of London, and a BA in International Relations from Queen Mary, University of London. I am working towards a doctorate that explores how Nigerian political parties attract and retain support in a fractured and heterogeneous society.

I have also published about the incursion of politics in football, historic positions on governance structures and two short stories on religion and mythical sirens.