Pius Adesanmi

Pius Adesanmi was a Nigerian-born Canadian academic and author who was widely regarded as a towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship. He obtained his BA in French from the University of Ilorin, his MA in French from the University of Ibadan, and his PhD in French Studies from the University of British Columbia. He taught at the Pennsylvania State University before joining Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, where he became the director of the Institute of African Studies. He was also a prolific writer who published books, essays, columns, and poems on various topics related to Africa, its diaspora, and its relations with the rest of the world. He was known for his satirical and critical style, as well as his passion and commitment to African development and democracy. He was a recipient of several awards, including the inaugural Penguin Prize for African Writing in the non-fiction category in 2010 and the Canada Bureau of International Education Leadership Award in 2017. He was also a popular speaker, public intellectual, and social media personality who had a large and diverse following across the globe. He died on March 10, 2019, when the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 that he was on crashed shortly after take-off near Bishoftu, Ethiopia. He was on his way to an African Union conference. He is survived by his wife, daughter, parents, siblings, and many friends and admirers. He is remembered as a brilliant, generous, and courageous scholar, teacher, writer, and activist who left a deep imprint on African studies and literature.