Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, Renowned Nigerian Literary Scholar, Dies at 80

Wale Igbintade

Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, one of Nigeria’s foremost literary scholars, critics, and public intellectuals, has passed away at the age of 80.

His death was announced yesterday, by Professor Andrew Haruna, President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL).

In a statement, Professor Haruna said “The President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Professor Andrew Haruna, FNAL, regrets to announce the death of Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, FNAL, which occurred today, 11th of February, 2026. May his gentle soul rest in peace, and may God comfort the family he left behind.”

Popularly known as Professor BJ, Jeyifo had a distinguished academic career spanning Nigeria and the United States.

He began his work at the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, before moving abroad.

In the U.S., he held dual academic appointments at Cornell University and Harvard University, earning international recognition for his scholarship in African literature, drama, and Marxist literary criticism.

Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential voices in postcolonial studies.

He attained particular prominence as a leading authority on the works of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.

His award-winning book, Wole Soyinka: Politics, Poetics and Postcolonialism (Cambridge University Press, 2004), is celebrated as the most comprehensive study of Soyinka’s oeuvre and a landmark in African postcolonial literary scholarship.

In his work, Jeyifo demonstrated how modernist and avant-gardist techniques underpinned the complexities often associated with Soyinka’s writing.

In addition to his scholarly achievements, Jeyifo was recognised for his analyses of capitalist modernity and its social and cultural crises, earning him prominence in global intellectual circles.

Just over a month before his death, Jeyifo’s 80th birthday was celebrated on 5 January 2026 at an international event held at the MUSON Centre in Lagos.

The gathering attracted scholars, admirers, and intellectuals from across the globe, reflecting his profound impact on literature and academia.

Born on 5 January 1946 in Ibadan, Jeyifo studied at the University of Ibadan and New York University.

Over decades, he inspired generations of students and scholars through his teaching, critical writings, and public engagement, leaving an enduring legacy in African and world literary studies.

Professor Biodun Jeyifo’s passing marks the end of a luminous era in literary scholarship, and his work will continue to influence generations of writers, critics, and scholars worldwide.