A US-based Nigerian cleric, scholar, and social commentator, recognised for his academic excellence, mentorship service, and advocacy, has been awarded the 2026 James Baldwin Legacy Award.
“I am delighted to share that yesterday I received the James Baldwin Legacy of Service Award at the 4th Annual Black Excellence Dinner at the University of Notre Dame,” Fr. Emmanuel Omokugbo Ojeifo announced on his social media.
He was recognised as “an outstanding graduate student who has profoundly impacted the university through service, mentorship, and advocacy,” reflecting James Baldwin’s commitment to community and intellectual empowerment.”
Established in 2021, the award, named after the esteemed 20th-century Black American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin, recognises and honours academic excellence.
A prayer card posted on social media on 5 Jan. 2024 to mark Fr. Ojeifo’s 11th priestly anniversary. Credit: Padre Mano
Ordained on 5 January 2013 as a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Abuja, Nigeria, Ojeifo is currently pursuing a doctorate in Theology at the University of Notre Dame.
His research focuses on the intersection of African Christian Political Theology and ethics, particularly examining land ownership, identity, and ecology in sub-Saharan Africa.
At 40, Ojeifo serves as the graduate coordinator for the Kellogg Integral Ecology Working Group at Notre Dame, emphasizing the links between faith, politics, and ecology in his work.
He is also gaining recognition for his vocal commentary on “Nigerian Christianity,” where he critiques prosperity-focused and “vengeful” prayer practices, advocating instead for a faith centered around purification and social cohesion.
He holds a Master of Arts in Religion in Global Politics from SOAS, University of London, and an MSc in Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh.
He is also a Fellow at the US Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center, holding the Lamin Sanneh Fellowship at Princeton Theological Seminary.
He also serves as a Senior Research Fellow at The Kukah Center in Nigeria and a researcher for the Bethany Land Institute in Uganda.
“I dedicate this award to all those who have contributed to shaping the trajectory of my intellectual and academic formation here at the University of Notre Dame and in the other institutions I’ve had the privilege of attending. I am deeply grateful to the professors and students who nominated me for this year’s legacy award,” Ojeifo expressed.
