Cyprian Odiatu Duaka Ekwensi was born on September 26, 1921, in Minna, located in present-day Niger State, Nigeria. He hailed from Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State, and was raised in a culturally rich Igbo household. His father, David Anadumaka, a traditional storyteller and elephant hunter, significantly influenced his imaginative capacity and love for narrative.
Ekwensi’s educational journey took him across Nigeria and abroad. He attended Government College, Ibadan; Achimota College in the Gold Coast (now Ghana); and the School of Forestry in Ibadan. He further pursued studies in pharmacy at Yaba Technical Institute and the Lagos School of Pharmacy, later completing his training at the Chelsea School of Pharmacy, University of London. He also taught briefly at Igbobi College, Lagos.
Table of Contents
Marital Life
Ekwensi married Eunice Anyiwo, and the couple had five children. His family lineage continues with numerous grandchildren, including Cyprian Ikechi Ekwensi, named in his honor, and his eldest grandchild Adrianne Tobechi Ekwensi.
Government Career
Ekwensi’s professional career began in forestry, where he served as a Forestry Officer from 1945 to 1947. He later joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) as Head of Features, where he worked alongside other literary greats like Chinua Achebe. As political tensions escalated in 1966, he resigned from his government position and moved to Enugu, becoming Chairman of the Biafran Bureau for External Publicity and an advisor to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, leader of the Republic of Biafra.
Literary Career
Ekwensi’s writing career was both prolific and impactful. His earliest works were pamphlet-style stories, influenced by his environment and traditional folktales. His first collection, Ikolo the Wrestler and Other Ibo Tales, was published in 1947, with five stories later appearing in England’s African New Writing series.
While traveling to England on a pharmacy scholarship, he began work on what would become his landmark novel, People of the City (1954)—the second major novel by a Nigerian writer, following Amos Tutuola’s The Palm-Wine Drinkard. The novel vividly portrays urban life in West Africa and marked the beginning of Ekwensi’s lasting literary legacy.
He followed with Jagua Nana (1961), arguably his most famous work, which told the story of a glamorous courtesan navigating the complexities of modern Nigerian society. Though controversial for its candid depiction of sexuality and moral conflict, the novel became a classic. A sequel, Jagua Nana’s Daughter, was published in 1987.
His other notable works include:
- Burning Grass (1961), based on the life of a Fulani family
- Beautiful Feathers (1963)
- Iska (1966)
- Divided We Stand (1980), a Civil War-themed novel
- Gone to Mecca (1991)
Ekwensi also wrote extensively for children, penning stories like The Drummer Boy (1960), The Passport of Mallam Ilia (1960), An African Night’s Entertainment (1962), and Samankwe and the Highway Robbers (1975).
Selected Works
- When Love Whispers (1948)
- People of the City (1954)
- The Drummer Boy (1960)
- Jagua Nana (1961)
- Burning Grass (1961)
- Beautiful Feathers (1963)
- Iska (1966)
- Lokotown and Other Stories (1966)
- Restless City and Christmas Gold (1975)
- Divided We Stand (1980)
- Jagua Nana’s Daughter (1987)
- Gone to Mecca (1991)
- Cash on Delivery (2007)
Awards and Recognitions
Cyprian Ekwensi received numerous awards for his literary contributions, including:
- Margaret Wrong Memorial Prize for Literature (1954) – for People of the City
- Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) – awarded in 2001 by the Nigerian government
- Dag Hammarskjöld International Prize in Literature (1969) – for Jagua Nana
- Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (FNAL) – conferred in 2006
- Posthumous Medal of Honour from the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)
Death
Cyprian Ekwensi passed away on November 4, 2007, at the Niger Foundation Hospital in Enugu, following surgery for an undisclosed illness. He was 86 years old.
Legacy
Often considered one of the founding fathers of Nigerian literature in English, Cyprian Ekwensi’s works continue to be studied and celebrated for their realistic portrayal of urban African life, engaging storytelling, and cultural preservation. His legacy lives on through his books, many of which remain essential reading across Africa and beyond.
References
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Daily Trust. (2007, November 6). Cyprian Ekwensi dies at 86. Retrieved from https://dailytrust.com
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The NEWS Nigeria. (2021, December 1). Nigeria Today Is Like A Yarn By Cyprian Ekwensi. Retrieved from https://thenewsnigeria.com.ng
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“Ekwensi, Cyprian.” (2003). In Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience (pp. 226–227). Running Press. ISBN 0-7624-1642-4.
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Encyclopedia of World Biography. Cyprian Ekwensi. Thomson Gale.
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Naijabiography. Cyprian Ekwensi Biography. Retrieved from https://naijabiography.com/biography/cyprian-ekwensi-biography
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Wikipedia contributors. Cyprian Ekwensi. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprian_Ekwensi
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