In Memoriam: Biodun Jeyifo (1946–2026)
Professor Biodun Jeyifo (5 January 1946 - 11 February 2026), one of the most incisive and humane critics of African literature and theatre, leaves behind a body of work that reshaped how generations understand the political, aesthetic and ethical stakes of writing on the continent. A scholar of rare range, he moved effortlessly from Marxist cultural theory to Yoruba performance traditions, always insisting that criticism must remain accountable to lived histories and social struggle. His leadership within the Nigerian Academy of Letters was both intellectual and moral: he championed rigorous scholarship, nurtured younger thinkers, and helped consolidate a tradition of criticism that was at once cosmopolitan and deeply rooted in local cultural forms. In celebrating his life, we honour a mind that expanded the horizons of African literary studies and a mentor whose influence continues to reverberate across classrooms, stages and scholarly communities.
Read more about In Memoriam: Biodun Jeyifo (1946–2026)
