Tinubu Mourns Literary Icon Biodun Jeyifo, Hails Ex-ASUU President’s Legacy in Academic Freedom

President Bola Tinubu has mourned the death of renowned literary scholar and former Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President, Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, describing his passing as a major loss to Nigeria and the global academic community.

In a condolence message issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu extended sympathies to Jeyifo’s family, colleagues, and associates, noting that the late scholar’s contributions to African literature and academic freedom will remain enduring.

Professor Jeyifo, a respected critic and public intellectual, was widely celebrated for his work in postcolonial studies, cultural theory, and his interpretation of the works of Nobel Laureate WoleI Soyinka. Tinubu highlighted his intellectual depth and leadership during his tenure at Academic Staff Union of Universities, where he championed improved working conditions and strengthened negotiation frameworks between university lecturers and government.

The President also acknowledged Jeyifo’s influence across major academic institutions, including the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Cornell University, Harvard University, and Oberlin College.

Describing Jeyifo as an “intellectual giant,” Tinubu said his advocacy for social justice, academic freedom, and human dignity shaped generations of scholars, writers, and activists.

Jeyifo, a recipient of the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, was regarded as one of Africa’s foremost literary critics.

With his death, Nigeria loses a towering cultural voice whose scholarship significantly advanced African literary studies and global intellectual discourse.