Tinubu mourns ex-ASUU president, literary scholar, Biodun Jeyifo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mourned the death of Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, a renowned literary scholar and former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), describing him
- ...says Nigeria, global academia lost “towering figure”
- ...hails late critic’s advocacy for academic freedom, social justice
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mourned the death of Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, a renowned literary scholar and former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), describing him as an intellectual giant whose influence shaped African literary studies across generations.
Jeyifo, an acclaimed critic and public intellectual, died on Wednesday.
In a condolence message issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said the late scholar would be deeply missed for his contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies and cultural theory, as well as his “masterful interpretation” of the works of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The President recalled Jeyifo’s years of leadership in ASUU, noting that he brought temperance, foresight and wisdom to union struggles and helped provide negotiation frameworks with government aimed at improving working conditions and the learning environment in Nigerian universities.
Tinubu said Jeyifo’s longstanding advocacy for academic freedom and social justice would remain enduring, adding that his influence on political and cultural journalism would continue to serve as reference for many scholars, writers and activists, especially those he mentored.
“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and outstanding global citizen. Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his entire life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity,” the President said.
Tinubu also disclosed that he shared a personal relationship with the late scholar, describing his passing as a major loss to the literary and cultural advancement of society.
The President condoled with ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, as well as Oberlin University, Cornell University and Harvard University in the United States, where Jeyifo studied, taught and influenced African literary research.
Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and intellectuals. He won several honours, including the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.
Tinubu prayed for the repose of the scholar’s soul and comfort for his family and associates.
