Ruth Karachi Benson Oji

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Ruth Karachi Benson Oji

Pragmatics, Digital Media Discourse, Discourse Analysis, Communication

Profile

School: Institute of Humanities (IOH)

Faculty’s email address: roji@pau.edu.ng

 Brief Background

Dr Ruth Karachi Benson Oji is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Humanities at Pan-Atlantic University, where she teaches and researches English language, communication, and discourse studies. She holds a PhD in English (Media Discourse) from the University of Ibadan (2015), an MA in English (Language) from the University of Lagos (2010), and a BA/Ed in English from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2007). Her academic work combines language and communication analysis with curriculum development, teaching methodology, and training facilitation across in-person, online, and hybrid platforms. She has led academic units, coordinated editorial operations, supervised undergraduate and postgraduate research, and contributed to institutional and professional projects in Nigeria and internationally.

Research interest
Dr Oji’s research centres on pragmatics and discourse analysis in media and digital communication, examining how language choices shape social narratives, especially gender representation, identity, persuasion, and public communication. Her work integrates pragmatic approaches with digital discourse analysis to understand evolving communication practices in Nigerian and global media landscapes. Further interests include internet-mediated communication, digital activism, digital literacy, Nigerian Englishes, cross-cultural communication, and inclusive institutional communication in multicultural settings. This research has implications for policy development, corporate and professional communication, teacher education, and educational practice.

Teaching
Faculty leads courses in:
• Writing
• Business English/Communication
• Engineering Communication
• Technical Writing
• Critical and Review Writing
• Indigenous Language Media
• Critical Thinking
• Grammar
• Business Writing
• Presentation Skills
• Public Speaking
• International Communication

Qualifications and Memberships

Qualifications

  • PhD, English (Media Discourse), University of Ibadan, Nigeria (2015)
  • MA, English (Language), University of Lagos, Nigeria (2010)
  • BA/Ed, English, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2007)
  • Certified Teacher, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), 2023
  • Member Certificate, Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD), 2025

Memberships, editorial boards

  • Director & Chief Programs Officer, American Centre for Interdisciplinary Research (ACIR), Indianapolis (2026–date)
  • Senior Editor, Journal of African Pragmatics (2026–date)
  • Research Collaborator on AI in Education, University of Oxford (AIEOU) (2026–date)
  • Associate Editor, Journal of English Language Teachers of Nigeria (2025–date)
  • Director of Publicity, PragmaticPoint Study Group (2024–date)
  • Head of Publicity (Secretary), African Pragmatics Association (2024–date)
  • Member, Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD) (2025–date)
  • ACU Ambassador for Pan-Atlantic University (2025–date)
  • Charter Member, National Association of Artificial Intelligence Practitioners (2024–date)
  • Member, International Association for the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) (2023–date)
  • Associated Member, Africa Centre for Transregional Research, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (2022–date)
  • Member, International Pragmatics Association (IPrA) (2019–date)
  • Member, Pragmatics Association of Nigeria (PrAN) (2018–date)
  • Member, English Studies Association of Nigeria (ESAN) (2018–date)
  • Member, English Language Teachers Association of Nigeria (ELTAN) (2011–date)

Research Grants

  • Coimbra Group Research Stay Grant, University of Granada (2026)
  • IOH, Pan-Atlantic University Travel Support (2026)
  • SGAS-VAD Conference Travel Grant (2026)
  • Ashesi University and Education Collaborative Grant / Student Leaders Program (2025)
  • IPrA Travel Grant (2025)
  • IOH, Pan-Atlantic University Travel Support (2025)
  • Education Collaborative Grant, teacher training on ethical conduct and combating cheating in schools (2024)
  • IOH, Pan-Atlantic University Travel Grant to IPrA Conference (2023)
  • VAD Conference Travel Grant, University of Freiburg (2022)

Selected professional engagement:

Dr Oji has provided language and communication training for journalists and media professionals, delivered business communication programmes for corporate audiences, and taught on executive and doctoral programmes at the Lagos Business School. She has also delivered invited talks on artificial intelligence and higher education, and on related professional communication topics.

Publications

  • Osisanwo, A., & Oji, R. K. B. (2026). “Us and them”: Discourses on the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate in Nigerian newspapers. Pragmatics and Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.22097.osi
  • Oji, R. K. B., & Olorunsogo, D. (2025). “Is your manhood failing you?”: Persuasion strategies in the audio advertisements of herbal sex-enhancement drugs in Southern Nigeria. African Identities, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14725843.2025.2487257
  • Oji, R. K. B. (2024). Discourse strategies of negotiating scam in COVID-19 vaccines discourse. Journal of English Scholars Association of Nigeria, 26(2), 90–108.
  • Oji, R. K. B. (2024). Locutions of educated Nigerian English in selected Instagram blogs. In A. Burega, F. O. Unuabonah, A. Odebunmi, & K. Agyekum (Eds.), Pragmatics of African Varieties of English. De Gruyter Mouton.
  • Oji, R. K. B. (2023). Of protests and satire: Representations of #EndSARS brutality in selected Nigerian hip-hop music. In T. Lungile & S. Mpofu (Eds.), Media, Social Movements, and Protest Cultures in Africa (Chapter 8). Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Oji, R. K. B. (2022). Construction grammar. In N. Osunbade, C. Ononye, S. Ajiboye, O. Inya, & Y. Ahmed (Eds.), Topics in Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis (Theory and Practice of Pragmatics). Pragmatics Association of Nigeria, pp. 130–136. ISBN 978-978-797-394-3.
  • Oji, R. K. B. (2021). Painting the state in the text: A pragmatic analysis of Remi Raji’s A Harvest of Laughters. Pragmatics and Society, 12(4), 649–668. https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.20007.oji
  • Oji, R. K., & Nzeaka, E. (2020). Digital colonialism on digital natives: A WhatsApp usage perspective. UJAH: Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities, 21(1), 17–53. https://doi.org/10.4314/ujah.v21i1.2
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