Festus Iyayi
Encyclopedia
Festus Iyayi is a Nigeria writer known for his radical and sometimes tough stance on social and political issues. Iyayi employs a realistic style of writing, depicting the social, political and moral environment and system both the rich and poor live and work in. Iyayi was also a former president of the Association of Senior Staff of Universities (ASSU).
. As a member of staff of the University, he became interested in radical social issues, and a few years after his employment, he became the president of the local branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU), a radical union known for its upfront style on academic and social welfare. He rose to the position of president of the national organization in 1986, but in 1988, the union was briefly banned and Iyayi was detained, in that same year he won the Commonwealth Prize for Literature for his book Heroes. He was later removed from his faculty position. Today, Iyayi is a member of different Nigerian literary organizations and works in the private sector as a consultant.
Life and Education
Iyayi was born in Edo state, Nigeria. His family lived on little means but instilled in him strong moral lessons about life. Iyayi started his education at Annuciation Catholic College in the old Bendel state popularly known as ACC finishing in 1966, in 1967 he went to Government College Ughelli graduating in 1968. In that same year he was a zonal winner in a Kenedy Essay Competition organised by the United States Embassy in Nigeria. He left the shores of Nigeria to pursue his higher education, obtaining a M.Sc in Industrial Economics from the Kiev Institute of Economics, in the former USSR and then his Ph.D from the University of Bradford, England. In 1980, he went back to Benin and became a lecturer in the Department of Business Administration at the University of BeninUniversity of Benin (Nigeria)
The University of Benin - also known as UNIBEN - is one of the country's major universities.-History:The university was founded in 1970 by the military government of Samuel Ogbemudia.It teaches in a broad range of subjects, including a medical school...
. As a member of staff of the University, he became interested in radical social issues, and a few years after his employment, he became the president of the local branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities
Academic Staff Union of Universities
The Academic Staff Union of Universities is a Nigerian union of university academic staff, founded in 1978, with a history of militant action.-Foundation:...
(ASUU), a radical union known for its upfront style on academic and social welfare. He rose to the position of president of the national organization in 1986, but in 1988, the union was briefly banned and Iyayi was detained, in that same year he won the Commonwealth Prize for Literature for his book Heroes. He was later removed from his faculty position. Today, Iyayi is a member of different Nigerian literary organizations and works in the private sector as a consultant.
Works
- Violence, LongmanLongmanLongman was a publishing company founded in London, England in 1724. It is now an imprint of Pearson Education.-Beginnings:The Longman company was founded by Thomas Longman , the son of Ezekiel Longman , a gentleman of Bristol. Thomas was apprenticed in 1716 to John Osborn, a London bookseller, and...
(1979) ISBN 0-582-64247-7 - The Contract, Longman (1982) ISBN 0-582-78524-3
- Heroes, Longman (c1986) ISBN 0-582-78603-7
- Awaiting Court Martial, IkejaIkejaIkeja is an outer-ring suburb of the city of Lagos and capital of Lagos State. It is also one of Nigeria's 774 Local Government Areas . The Murtala Mohammed International Airport is located there...
, Lagos : Malthouse Press (1996) ISBN 978-2601-79-9