UNN Holds Special Senate Session for Achebe

The academic community would pay special tributes to late Professor Chinua Achebe as the University of Nigeria Nsukka hosts a special Senate session and academic procession for the late faculty member on May 21.

The Achebe Tribute Senate Session would hold at the Enugu Campus of the multi-campus University of Nigeria.

It is part of activities for the national funeral of the famed author of the epochal Things Fall Apart and other works that defined African literature and made it part of global literary canon.

Chinualumogu Achebe served on the faculty of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka as professor of literature and Director of the Institute of African Studies.

At Nsukka, he birthed the journal of new African writing, Okike, and edited a journal of socio-political commentary, Nsukkascope.

Prof Bartho Okolo, UNN Vice Chancellor, said the University is moving its Senate Session and academic procession to the Enugu campus to honour Achebe as well as allow participation by academics from other universities.

The University of Nigeria vice chancellor had in an earlier tribute described Achebe as one of the pillars of the institution’s reputation.

Okolo stated, “Prof Achebe was one of the academic titans whose presence on the faculty served as a beacon of light that drew the world to the University of Nigeria.” 

He added, “Achebe in his work gave to the language, culture and people of Igbo land a universality that positioned it as one of the major ethnic groups of human civilisation.”