About

Ayodeji Rotinwa is a writer, reporter, editor and critic.

He writes about contemporary artistic, cultural production, movements, trends in art communities and markets across the African continent. For instance, he has been reporting extensively on the socio-economic, political, diplomatic and cultural significance of the restitution of African artefacts by Western museums across Bénin Republic, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Senegal.

He also covers politics, social justice and human rights. While in New York, completing his Masters Degree in Journalism, at Columbia University, he reported on labor rights of marginalised people of color in New York City, harmful immigration policies hurting African asylum seekers, how gentrification was displacing Puerto Rican immigrants, and underground queer communities and subcultures.

His work has been published in New York Times, Financial Times, Art Forum, Frieze, National Geographic, The Continent, THISDAY Nigeria, Mail & Guardian South Africa, amongst others.

He has interviewed and profiled leading personalities such as the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, globally renown visual artists Peju Alatise, Yusuf Grillo, Yinka Shonibare; Hollywood actors: Danny Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, amongst others.

Previously, exclusively only reporting in text, Rotinwa has now started producing reporting in audio and video as well.

In 2015, he was selected for the Farafina Creative Writing Workshop held and mentored by award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

In 2017, he was selected for the inaugural BudgIT Data and Investigative Journalism Fellowship where he produced investigative and deep-dive reportage on public health, social justice and politics.

Outside of reporting, he is also engaged in the training, development, and mentorship of young, African journalists, having organized a free, self-funded workshop to train freelance journalists for two years and managed a similar program, the African Arguments Fellowship for Young Freelancers.

He is also deeply interested in the business and sustainability of journalism going forward: and experimenting currently with audience development, engagement and building micro journalism ventures.

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Header Photo Credit: Emmanuel Oyeleke / taken at Emmanuel Oyeleke Studios, as part of profile documentation by The Future Awards 2017. Rotinwa was nominated for Journalist of the Year.