In a significant recognition for Nigerian expertise in the global tech policy arena, lawyer and technology advocate Timi Paul Olagunju has been selected for a prestigious international fellowship.
A Prestigious Global Platform for Tech Voices
Timi Paul Olagunju has been chosen as one of only 20 worldwide fellows for the 2025 Public Voices Fellowship on Technology in the Public Interest. This competitive, year-long initiative is run by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in partnership with The OpEd Project based in the United States.
The programme is designed to assemble leading researchers, technologists, and governance experts who examine the social consequences of technology. Its core mission is to equip these specialists with advanced skills and prominent platforms to influence public debate. They achieve this through strategic opinion writing, direct media engagement, and targeted policy advocacy.
Bringing a Nigerian and Global South Perspective
The 2025 fellowship cohort includes academics and practitioners from top institutions across the United States and other regions. Their work addresses critical issues like artificial intelligence (AI), the future of democracy, digital civil rights, and data protection.
Olagunju's selection is pivotal as he introduces a Nigerian and broader Global South viewpoint into global discussions about the promises and perils of emerging technologies. His professional focus lies at the intersection of technology, governance, and youth development, with special attention on AI, blockchain, democracy, and digital rights.
A central pillar of his advocacy is promoting AI literacy among young Nigerians. He has driven this mission forward through community programmes, educational workshops, and direct policy engagements. These efforts aim to demystify how AI systems operate and illustrate how digital tools can shape civic participation.
Amplifying Underrepresented Voices in Tech Governance
Commenting on his fellowship placement, Olagunju highlighted a crucial gap in global technology dialogues. He noted that communities which are most impacted by major technology decisions frequently lack a seat at the table where these discussions happen.
He views this fellowship as a direct channel to bring these lived experiences into high-level conversations concerning AI ethics, democratic resilience, and social justice. The fellowship structure includes four intensive virtual gatherings over the coming year. It also grants access to an influential network of past and current Public Voices fellows, many of whom have:
- Advised national governments on tech policy.
- Briefed legislators on emerging digital issues.
- Published influential research that shapes global thinking.
- Contributed directly to frameworks for technology governance.
Fellows are picked through a rigorous review process to ensure their insights can powerfully shape public debate on technology, both in the U.S. and internationally. This goal aligns perfectly with The OpEd Project's mission to diversify public discourse by empowering experts whose perspectives are often missing from mainstream media and policymaking circles.
Olagunju is already an established voice, having published essays and policy commentary in renowned international outlets such as Fast Company, the Harvard Kennedy School Policy Review, The Guardian, Punch, and The Irish Times.
His selection marks a growing presence of Nigerian professionals in worldwide debates on responsible technology governance. This comes at a critical time as discussions on AI regulation and the protection of digital rights accelerate across the globe.
