President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and one of Africa’s most distinguished literary scholars and public intellectuals.
Professor Jeyifo died on Wednesday. The President’s condolence message was conveyed in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu described the late scholar as a towering figure in African literature, postcolonial studies, and cultural theory, noting that his penetrating critiques and masterful interpretations of the works of Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka earned him global acclaim.
The President paid tribute to Jeyifo’s leadership of ASUU, recalling the temperance, foresight, and wisdom he brought to the union at critical moments in Nigeria’s academic history.
He said Jeyifo provided principled guidance and helped shape constructive negotiation frameworks with government aimed at improving working conditions and strengthening the learning environment in Nigerian universities.
President Tinubu also highlighted the late professor’s enduring advocacy for academic freedom and social justice, describing his influence on political and cultural journalism as profound and far-reaching.
“His voice resonated far beyond the classroom,” the President noted, adding that generations of scholars, writers, and activists benefitted from Jeyifo’s mentorship and intellectual example.
Tinubu extended condolences to 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 — institutions where Professor Jeyifo studied, taught, or left an indelible mark on African literary scholarship.
“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and an outstanding global citizen,” the President said. “Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity. I shared a strong personal relationship with him. His immense contributions to literary and cultural advancement, and to society at large, will be deeply missed.”
President Tinubu prayed for the repose of the late scholar’s soul.
Professor Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics. Over the course of his distinguished career, he received numerous honours, including the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to scholarship and the humanities.
