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April 5, 2011 12:24AM
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Ulli Beier, 88, the man who was the lever on which what became known as Nigerian literature took its leap into worldwide recognition, died at the weekend in Sydney, Australia.

Perhaps more than anyone else, Mr. Beier epitomised the creative spirit and verve of Nigerian literature. A German, his sojourn in Nigeria pioneered efforts in making literature, arts and the humanities in general have the solid intellectual background and ferment that today typifies our art sector.

Born to a father who was a medical doctor with a passion for the arts, Mr. Beier left his home country after World War II. He enrolled at the University of London and got a degree in Phonetics. It was the degree that later led to his job at the then newly established University College, Ibadan, in 1955. At Ibadan, he began his extensive work on the Nigerian arts.

Mr. Beier traversed the whole of the south west collecting, stories, folklore, materials on culture, arts and literature of the people. He was one of the first to work with the group of the late Duro Ladipo, and was responsible for bringing the dramatist to the attention of the world. As part of his labour of love for promoting arts in Nigeria, he founded Black Orpheus, a literary magazine that was to become a leading journal, not only in Nigeria, but in Africa and the black world. It was in this magazine that many of the continent's leading writers first had their initial articles exposed to a wider audience.

Such writers as Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, John Pepper Clark, the late Christopher Okigbo and others had their first taste of fame in the Black Orpheus. Mr. Beier later founded Mbari Artists, and Writers Club, Ibadan, which was used as another launch pad for artists and writers.

Mr. Beier's influence on Nigerian and African arts and culture was not limited to Nigeria. Even after leaving the country, he never stopped promoting our country's art. In the early 80s, he was the founder and director of Iwalewa Haus, an art centre at the University of Bayreuth in Germany.

Through this centre, many Nigerian artists were able to travel to Germany on fellowships and exchange programmes which went a long way to hone their skills and expose them to the European and world audience.

What is today known as Osogbo Arts was principally owing to the tireless work of Mr. Beier and his wife at the time, the late Susan Wenger. The couple wrote their names in the indelible ink of the culture sector in our country. Mr. Beier, who reportedly learnt English at 28, went on to translate many Yoruba writers into English and publish several anthologies of poems and essays.

Many lovers of Nigerian literature would remember that Mr. Beier wrote a play under the pseudonym, Obotunde Ijimere. He was tireless and relentless in his dogged determination that, except for his pigmentation, he could have passed for a Nigerian. His devotion and commitment to the Yoruba language is an example to those who think our indigenous languages are not worth preserving.

What a sad commentary on the state of affairs in our country, that a man, who did so much for our arts sector and contributed to its international ascent and recognition, never got any state recognition by way of a national honour or mention .