Biographical Information for Nouréini Tidjani-Serpos

Sources: Campus numérique francophone de Cotonou, Wikipedia entry

Biography:

Born in 1946 in Porto-Novo, Benin.

Education: Primary and secondary studies in Porto-Novo. Studied literature in France and obtained a PhD in the subject from the University of Lille III (1987).

ADG Tidjani speaks English, French. Yoruba, Fon, Éwé and Goun and reads Spanish.

Professional Career: On return to the country, he was a French teacher in secondary school then technical adviser on the Culture of Sports for the Minister for State for Education,

For political reasons, he went into exile in 1975, teaching French and African literature at the Université de Benin-City in Nigeria and, on his return from exile, at the National University of Benin in Cotonou. In 1990, he became an adviser on cultural affairs to the Prime Minister then to the President of the Republic of Benin, Nicéphore Soglo.

In 1992, he was named ambassador and permanent representative of Benin to UNESCO. He was elected Chairman of the UNESCO Executive Board in 1996. Since 1998, he has been Assistant Director General of UNESCO for African programs.

He is poet, novelist and literary critic.

Publications:

• Maïté (poetry). Cotonou: Imprimerie ABM, 1967.
• Agba'Nla (poetry). Paris: P.J. Oswald, 1973.
• Le nouveau souffle (poetry). Benin - City: Ambik Press, 1986.
• Aspects de la critique africaine (literary criticism). Paris ; Lomé: Editions Silex ; Editions Haho, 1987.
• Porto-Novo, un rêve brésilien (poetry) (en collaboration avec Jean Caffé). Paris: Ed. Karthala ; Ed. ASSOCLE, 1993.
• Aspects de la critique africaine (Tome 2): l'intellectuel africain face au roman, (literary criticism). Paris: Editions Silex ; Editions Nouvelles du Sud, 1996.
• Bamikilé (novel). Paris: Présence Africaine, 1996

Click here to transfer to Nouréini Tidjani-Serpos' website.

You may also review:

• Conférence de presse de Nouréini TIDJANI-SERPOS (video)
• Nouréini TIDJANI-SERPOS : Sous DG chargé du Département AFRIQUE à l'UNESCO (video)
• DÉCODAGES - PORTRAIT : SOUS-DIRECTEUR GENERAL DU DEPARTEMENT AFRIQUE DE L’UNESCO : Nouréini Tidjani-Serpos ou la démocratisation de l’accès au savoir
• Nouréini Tidjani-Serpos candidat a la direction générale de l’Unesco : « De tous, je suis celui qui est immédiatement opérationnel »
• Allocution de Noureini Tidjani-Serpos à l'occasion de la visite de Yasser Arafat

Sipoef 2008 discours Noureini Tidjani-Serpos IFrency)