The Nigerian academic community is mourning the loss of Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, a titan of literary criticism and postcolonial studies, who passed away on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
He was 80 years old.
The President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), Professor Andrew Haruna, confirmed the news in an official statement on Wednesday.
“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,” the statement read.
Affectionately known as “Professor BJ,” Jeyifo was a towering figure in global academia. His career began at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where he established himself as a formidable scholar and a sharp Marxist critic.
His intellectual journey eventually took him to the United States, where he held prestigious dual appointments at Cornell University and Harvard University. Jeyifo was widely celebrated for his groundbreaking work on African drama and literature, Marxist literary theory, and Postcolonial politics and culture.
Just last month, on January 5, the international community gathered at the MUSON Centre in Lagos to celebrate his 80th birthday. The event drew scholars, former students, and admirers from around the world to honour a man whose critiques shaped the understanding of African identity in literature.
Professor Haruna concluded the announcement by offering prayers for the family: “May his gentle soul rest in peace, and may God comfort the family he left behind.”
