Festus Iyayi

Festus Iyayi was a Nigerian leftist writer and academic, best known for his novels that depict the socio-political environment of contemporary Nigeria. He was also a former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), a radical union known for its activism and advocacy for academic and social welfare. He was born in Ugbegun in Esanland, Edo State, Nigeria, in 1947. He attended Urhobo College and Government College Ughelli, and won a Kennedy Essay Competition organised by the United States Embassy in Nigeria in 1968. He left Nigeria to pursue his higher education, obtaining a M.Sc in Industrial Economics from the Kiev Institute of Economics, in the former USSR (now Ukraine), and then his Ph.D from the University of Bradford, England. He returned to Nigeria in 1980 and became a lecturer in the Department of Business Administration at the University of Benin. He became interested in radical social issues and joined the ASUU, becoming its president in 1986. He was detained and banned by the military regime for his union activities, and also faced harassment and dismissal from the university administration. He won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for his novel Heroes in 1988, and was also honored with several national awards for his contribution to literature and education. He wrote three novels: Violence, The Contract, and Heroes, as well as a collection of short stories, Awaiting Court Martial. His works expose the corruption, oppression, and violence that afflict the Nigerian society, and call for resistance and social justice. He died in a road accident on his way to Kano on November 12, 2013, while on an official assignment for the ASUU. He was mourned by many fans, colleagues, and activists who paid tribute to his talent and legacy.