Celebrated writer, Mabel Segun, dies at 95
By Jeffrey Agbo
The acclaimed Nigerian poet, writer, and advocate for children’s literature, Mabel Segun, passed away on Thursday at the age of 95.
Her family, in a statement, expressed gratitude for her remarkable life, describing her as a dedicated literary icon and media personality who pursued excellence in all her endeavors. They noted that funeral arrangements would be announced in due course.
“It is with gratitude to God for a life well spent in the pursuit of excellence in Literature, Broadcasting and Sports that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Mabel Dorothy Okanima Segun (nee Aig-Imoukhuede) in the early hours of the 6th of March 2025,” the statement reads.
Born on February 13, 1930, in Ondo City, Segun attended CMS Girls’ School in Lagos before earning a degree in English, Latin, and History from the University of Ibadan in 1953. She later taught these subjects in Nigerian schools, serving as head of the English and Social Studies department and vice-principal at the National Technical Teachers’ College in Yaba.
Segun’s literary career spanned multiple genres, including children’s literature, fiction and poetry. Her first book, My Father’s Daughter, published in 1965, became a widely studied literature text in schools worldwide. Many of her works have been translated into German, Danish, Norwegian, and Greek.
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A passionate advocate for children’s literature, she founded the Children’s Literature Association of Nigeria in 1978 and later established the Children’s Documentation and Research Centre in Ibadan in 1990. She was also a fellow of the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany.
Segun was instrumental in shaping Nigerian literature and was a founding member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), established by Chinua Achebe in 1981. She also excelled in broadcasting, winning the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation’s Artiste of the Year award in 1977. Her contributions to literature earned her numerous accolades, including the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award (NNOM) in 2009 and the LNG Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2007.
Beyond literature and broadcasting, Segun was a talented athlete. She was Nigeria’s first female table tennis champion, winning a gold medal in the doubles category in 1954. She competed in table tennis until the age of 58 and also won a bronze medal in badminton at the Nigerian Regional Championship.
She is survived by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son, Femi Segun.
