VERDANT ZEAL CONDOLES WITH PROF PIUS ADESANMI’S FAMILY

Verdant Zeal Marketing Communications Group has condoled with the family of the late Pius Adesanmi, Nigerian-born Canadian Professor, writer, literary critic, satirist, and columnist. He was until his demise a member of the Faculty at the Carleton University, Canada. His sad demise occurred in the ill-fated Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday alongside the other 148 passengers and eight crew members on board on his way to Nairobi, Kenya.

According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Group, Dr. Tunji Olugbodi, “We condole with the family of one of the greatest Nigerian cerebral scholar in Canada, Pius Adesanmi. He was the keynote speaker at the Season 5 of Verdant Zeal Innovention Series in 2016. He is one of the iconoclast that pushed the “Iyalaya Anybody” concept at that lecture and it was a memorable outing with him.”

In his words, “Africa has lost a great son, though based in Canada, he never lost touch with his kinsmen in the continent; he was selflessly involved in all the various happenings. He loved Nigeria and his roots, Okun tribe in the present day, Kogi State. He was quick to praise where needed but did not suffer fools gladly, especially with governance structures that did not commit to the citizenry.”

“Although Pius lived a short but very impactful life; he believed in us and our ideas, he was a global citizen; one of the best French linguists that ever lived. He is a great loss to the global community, who never leaves one in doubt of where he stands and he had a word in season. We will surely miss his prolificacy,” he added.

Pius Adesanmi is the author of Naija No Dey Carry Last, a collection of satirical essays and other books. Adesanmi was born in Isanlu, in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria in 1972. He had a BA (first class honours) from the University of Ilorin in 1992, a Masters in French from the University of Ibadan in 1998, and a Ph.D. in French Studies from the University of British Columbia in 2002.

From 2002 to 2005, he was Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature at the Pennsylvania State University, USA. In 2006, he joined Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada as a Professor of literature and African studies. He has also been a Fellow of the French Institute for Research in Africa (IFRA) from 1993 to 1997, as well as of the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) in 1998 and 2000

For many years, Adesanmi was a regular columnist for Nigerian Tribune, Premium Times and Sahara Reporters. His writings were often satiric, focusing on the absurd in the Nigerian social and political system.