Leadership and service
Building spaces where scholars meet across fields and borders
American Center for Interdisciplinary Research
As Executive Director of ACIR, a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit, I lead programs that bring scholars and the public together across disciplines through engagement, dialogue, and collaborative exchange.
Digital humanities in Africa
- Co-founder, Network for Digital Humanities in AfricaA continental network connecting scholars working with digital methods.
- Co-founder, Digital Humanities Association of NigeriaA national association supporting digital humanities research and teaching in Nigeria.
- Facilitator, CEDHUL workshops, University of LagosIncluding a two-day digital humanities pedagogy workshop and a Train the Trainers workshop.
Academic service
- RTC MentorMichigan Technological University, 2022 to 2025
- Peer reviewerInternational Journal of Hospitality Management, 2023 to present; Digital Studies/Le champ numérique; Visual Communication, 2024; la revue Afrique(s) en Mouvement, 2025
- Review EditorResearch in Pragmatics, 2018 to 2025
- Planning Committee Member and ReviewerGlobal Digital Humanities Symposia, Michigan State University, 2021 to 2025
- Program Committee MemberInternational Conference of the Digital Humanities Association of Nigeria, 2021 to 2025
Media creation
Media Creator · Commentator · Host · Digital Storyteller
My work in media sits at the intersection of communication, culture, sport, public discourse, and digital storytelling. I create and develop media projects that turn ideas, events, and cultural conversations into engaging experiences for contemporary audiences.
I am particularly interested in how people use media to interpret events, construct identities, debate ideas, and make meaning. Through video, commentary, podcasts, interviews, and digital platforms, I explore subjects that connect everyday experience with larger cultural and social questions.
What I do
Media production
Developing concepts, formats, and content for digital media, including video programs, podcasts, interviews, and discussion-based shows.
Commentary and analysis
Using communication and cultural analysis to examine sport, public issues, media narratives, and contemporary conversations.
Hosting and presentation
Leading conversations, moderating discussions, and presenting ideas in an accessible, engaging, and intellectually informed way.
Digital storytelling
Using multimedia platforms to tell stories, explain ideas, and connect audiences with people, events, and cultural experiences.
Media strategy and content development
Shaping the identity, structure, and editorial direction of media projects from concept through production.
Public communication
Translating complex ideas into clear, compelling content for broader public audiences.
Media projects
Fans' Tackle
Football · Debate · Reaction · Fan culture
Fans' Tackle is a digital football platform built around live reactions, debates, predictions, commentary, and fan culture. The project explores football not simply as a sport, but as a cultural space where identity, emotion, community, and public conversation intersect.
Ideas Worth Discussing
Books · Culture · Ideas · Public conversation
A discussion-oriented media concept focused on books, culture, scholarship, and ideas that deserve wider public attention. It creates space for conversations that move beyond quick reactions and encourage audiences to think, question, and engage.
James Akinola Media
Communication · Commentary · Culture · Conversation
My broader media work brings together academic communication, public commentary, storytelling, and digital production. It gives me a platform to explore subjects ranging from culture and communication to sport, technology, and contemporary public life.
How I think about media
I do not see media simply as a platform for distributing content. I see it as a space where people negotiate meaning. My approach to media creation is informed by my background in rhetoric, discourse analysis, communication, and cultural studies. Whether I am discussing football, interviewing a guest, developing a show, or producing digital content, I am drawn to the same question: how do people make meaning through communication?
Media Creator · Content Producer · Media Project Developer