The Board of Trustees and Management of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) is deeply saddened to receive reports of the passing of Biodun Jeyifo, fondly called BJ, an eminent scholar, public intellectual, and one of Nigeria’s foremost voices in critical thought, literary theory, and cultural discourse. Jeyifo was a treasured partner in nation building and collaborator whose impact extended far beyond conventional academic boundaries. Over the years, he contributed significantly to our mission to deepen media excellence, interrogate power, and uphold truth in society.
Jeyifo delivered the keynote at the 5th and 16th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series in 2013 and 2024 respectively, to mark the 79th and 90th birthdays of Wole Soyinka, WSCIJ’s Grand Patron. At the events he spoke to the themes of The Freedom of Information Act and the dictatorship of corruption and mediocrity and The Death of Truth? Realism, Literature and Journalism in an Age of Disinformation. Sadly, many of the issues raised at these meetings are still rife.
Beyond his engagement with WSCIJ, Jeyifo’s global stature as a distinguished academic, mentor, and thought leader reflected in his positions as the first President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emeritus of English at Cornell University and Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature and African and African American Studies at Harvard University.
His work reshaped how we read African literature and culture, interrogate power, and understand society. He was widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the works of Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, producing path-breaking scholarship including the award-winning book Wole Soyinka: Politics, Poetics and Postcolonialism, considered a foundational study in African literary criticism.
Jeyifo’s influence was felt in lecture halls, through his writings, and in his mentorship of students and younger scholars, many of whom have gone on to become leading academics, journalists, cultural critics, and public intellectuals around the world. His insistence on rigorous engagement with culture, education, and social justice exemplified the values we hold at the WSCIJ.
We remember his spirited engagement on issues of education, critique, and decolonisation, including at the public symposium convened in honour of his 80th birthday by WSCIJ and its partners on Monday 5 January 2026, where reflections were made on enduring struggles over knowledge, power, education, culture, and liberation: themes that shaped BJ’s scholarship and public thought for over half a century.
Biodun Jeyifo’s passing has deeply saddened the WSCIJ community. We join in solidarity with his family, friends, colleagues, students, and admirers worldwide during this moment of grief and reflection. His life was of relentless inquiry, compassionate teaching, and fearless intellectual engagement. He leaves behind a legacy that will continue to guide future generations in the pursuit of truth, justice, and humane scholarship.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, his children, his extended family, the global academia, the journalism community, and all those inspired by his work and his life. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. His memory is a blessing, and his contributions will endure in our collective struggles for knowledge, equity, and human dignity. WSCIJ is glad we honoured Biodun Jeyifo while he was alive with a celebration of his 80th birthday.
Signed,
Motunrayo Alaka
Executive Director/CEO
Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism
