Biodun Jeyifo, the respected Nigerian scholar of literature and culture, has passed away at the age of 80.
He died on Wednesday, bringing to an end a distinguished academic career that lasted several decades and influenced scholars across the world.
In a statement announcing his death, the President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), Andrew Haruna, described his passing as a great loss to Nigeria and the global intellectual community. He noted that Jeyifo’s work in literary studies and cultural criticism earned him international recognition and respect.
Born on January 5, 1946, in Ibadan, Oyo State, Jeyifo, popularly known as “BJ,” showed academic excellence from an early stage. He earned a first-class degree in English from the University of Ibadan, completed his master’s degree there, and later obtained his PhD from New York University.
He began his teaching career at the University of Ife, now known as Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), before moving abroad for further academic appointments. He later held senior positions at Cornell University and Harvard University, where he became Professor Emeritus of African and African American Studies and Comparative Literature.
Jeyifo was widely known as one of the foremost scholars and interpreters of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s works. His research helped deepen global understanding of African literature, postcolonial theory, and comparative literary studies.
Beyond academics, he was active in university leadership and advocacy. He served as National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), where he played an important role in promoting academic freedom and better working conditions for lecturers in Nigerian universities.
Earlier on January 5, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), along with other intellectual organisations, held an international symposium in Lagos to celebrate his 80th birthday and honour his lifelong contributions to scholarship and critical thought.
