James Ojo Adakole, a senior copy editor at Legit.ng, is set to speak at the 10th Lagos Studies Association (LSA) conference, scheduled to take place from June 16 to June 20, 2026, at Trinity University, Sabo/Yaba, Lagos State.
Conference Details
The LSA is an international, interdisciplinary organization that brings together academic and non-academic practitioners focused on Lagos, Nigeria, and Africa. The 2026 conference will feature 340 panels, making it the largest academic gathering in Nigeria and one of the biggest African studies conferences worldwide. Last year's edition had 255 panels, and the increase reflects expanded access for scholars and practitioners globally.
Attendees can choose from 15 professional development workshops covering topics such as book and journal publishing, women in academia, AI and teaching pedagogy, fellowship application and grant writing, and graduate school experience. There will also be roundtables on 30 cutting-edge books in humanities and social sciences, film screenings, and theatre and dance performances.
Laurent Fourchard, a research professor at Sciences Po in Paris, France, will deliver the keynote lecture titled 'African History, African Politics, and the World of Academia: A Personal Journey.'
James Ojo Adakole's Panel and Research
Adakole will present findings from his latest research during a panel session titled 'Changing the Narrative on Exploring Constructive Storytelling as Practice, Pedagogy, and Sustainability Model in African Journalism (Part II).' His work, 'Learning by Doing: Newsroom–Classroom Collaborations as Practice-Based Interventions in African Journalism,' critically examines the disconnect between journalism education and newsroom practice in Africa.
The panel will be chaired by Dr. Jamiu Folarin, a lecturer and researcher at Crescent University in Ogun State, alongside Dr. Rasheed Adebiyi, a lecturer at Fountain University in Osun State.
Profile of James Ojo Adakole
Adakole holds a degree in mass communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State. With a decade of experience in journalism, he has won several top awards, including the 2022 Hostwriter Prize for collaborative journalism, the PwC Media Excellence Award (second runner-up), TheCable Journalist of the Year award, and Legit.ng's Copyediting Excellence Award.
In 2024, he won the African Prize for Investigative Journalism (PAJI), online category, for a collaborative report exposing health officials selling unverified medical documents in Sokoto State. He was also among the top 20 African journalists selected by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, for the 2025 African Investigative Journalism Masterclass, an intensive training course on digital forensics and investigative techniques held from November 2 to 4, 2025.
Beyond journalism, Adakole is a researcher. In December 2025, his study 'Comparative Analysis of Online Advocacy for Good Governance and Actual Political Involvement among Nigerian Youths' was published in the International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR). He joined Legit.ng in August 2023.
Previously, Adakole was selected for the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the world's largest international gathering of investigative journalists, which took place from November 20 to 24.
