Carleton community, Canada, mourns Adesanmi, Nigerian scholar who died in Ethiopian Air crash

Late Adesanmi

The Carleton community has expressed shock over the death of Canadian based scholar ,Prof. Pius Adesanmi, who was among the 18 Canadians killed in today’s crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet at the Addis Ababa airport.

Global Affairs Canada has confirmed that Adesanmi is among the victims.

“Pius was a towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship and his sudden loss is a tragedy,” said Benoit-Antoine Bacon, president and vice-chancellor. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who knew and loved him, and with everyone who suffered loss in the tragic crash in Ethiopia.”

“The contributions of Pius Adesnami to Carleton are immeasurable,” said Pauline Rankin, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. “He worked tirelessly to build the Institute of African Studies, to share his boundless passion for African literature and to connect with and support students. He was a scholar and teacher of the highest calibre who leaves a deep imprint on Carleton.”

A further tribute about Adesanmi’s leadership and many contributions to the Carleton community will be shared as soon as possible.

Adesanmi was one of 157 people that died in the ill-fated Ethiopian Airline crash that happened in the early hours of Sunday.