TELL Magazine

The academic community of the University of Benin, (UNIBEN) Benin City, Edo State, will on Thursday join one of their own, erudite scholar, renowned poet and essayist, Esijolomi Anthony Afejuku, professor of Creative Writing in the department of English and Literature, to present the “Autobiography of Nigeria” at the university’s 245th Inaugural Lecture.
A prolific writer and columnist for some major newspapers, notably The Guardian where he maintains a column every Friday, Afejuku spices his writings with poetic devices, as he dwells mostly on national politics, current affairs, human interest matters, and sports. He also maintained a column – In & Out – in the Nigerian Tribune, for almost six years.
His choice of topic, “The Autobiography of Nigeria”, is therefore not a surprise as the poet and literary critic has devoted more than two decades of his writings, lectures and poetry on the drifts in the nation’s polity, especially at this period that the country is on the brinks.
Popularly known as “No Paddy for Jungle”, a name given to him by his students and colleagues alike due to his objectivity and fairness in all issues, Afejuku’s lecture which holds at the Akin Deko Main Auditorium of the university at 4 pm, and to be presided over by the UNIBEN Vice-chancellor, Professor Lilian Imuetinyan Salami, promises to be as incisive as his numerous writings.
A Fellow of the Literary Society of Nigeria, FLSN, Member of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, MNAL, Justice of the Peace, JP and author of three volumes of poems: “An Orchard of Wishes”, “A Garden of Moods” and “A Spring of Sweets”, Afejuku bagged B.A. and M.A. degrees from the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria; and a Ph.D from the University of Benin. He delivered the 2nd combined Convocation Lecture of the Federal University Oye Ekiti, FUOYE, where he spoke on the topic “Anticipating the Birthday Boy” and he is also a member of the Editorial Board of The Daily Times.