President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and distinguished literary scholar, Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, who died on Wednesday.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu described the late scholar as a towering intellectual whose influence transcended Nigeria’s borders and enriched global academic discourse.
President Tinubu noted that the renowned literary scholar, critic, and public intellectual would be sorely missed for his immense contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies, cultural theory, and for his masterful interpretation of the works of Professor Wole Soyinka.
The President also recalled the temperance, foresight, and wisdom that Prof. Jeyifo brought to the leadership of ASUU, providing direction and constructive negotiation frameworks in engagements with government to improve working conditions and the learning environment in Nigerian universities.
“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. I share a strong personal relationship with him. His contributions to literary and cultural advancement and to society at large will be greatly missed,” President Tinubu said.
According to the statement by Onanuga, the President affirmed that Professor Jeyifo’s lifelong advocacy for academic freedom and social justice would remain part of his enduring legacy, just as his impact on political and cultural journalism would continue to inspire generations of scholars, writers, and activists he mentored.
President Tinubu condoled with ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Oberlin College, Cornell University, and Harvard University, where the late academic either studied, taught, or significantly influenced African literary scholarship.
Professor Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and intellectuals and was honoured with several awards, including the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.
President Tinubu prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the departed scholar and comfort for all who mourn him.
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