▁of ▁South ▁Africa . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁patron ▁of ▁the ▁Et is al at ▁Prize ▁for ▁Liter ature . ▁ ▁Biography ▁O lo j ede ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁in ▁Mod ake ke , ▁Niger ia . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁of ▁ 2 8 ▁children . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁he ▁began ▁his ▁journal ism ▁career ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Con cord ▁in ▁Lag os , ▁a ▁newspaper ▁owned ▁by ▁asp iring ▁political ▁figure ▁Mos hood ▁Ab i ola . ▁O lo j ede ▁left ▁the ▁paper ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁after ▁he ▁became ▁concerned ▁that ▁Ab i ola ▁was ▁using ▁the ▁paper ▁to ▁advance ▁his ▁personal ▁political ▁amb itions . ▁ ▁O lo j ede ▁en rolled ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Lag os ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁journal ism , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁students ▁union ▁movement . ▁As ▁a ▁student ▁he ▁was ▁particularly ▁influenced ▁by ▁Niger ian ▁literary ▁l umin aries ▁like ▁Ch in ua ▁Ach eb e , ▁W ole ▁So y ink a ▁and ▁C yp rian ▁E kw ens i ▁and ▁other ▁African ▁writers ▁like ▁Ng ũ g ĩ ▁wa ▁Th ion g ' o . ▁He ▁also ▁acted ▁Shakespeare ▁in ▁grade ▁school ▁and ▁d ab bled ▁in ▁poetry ▁in ▁Y or uba ▁and ▁English ▁ ▁O lo j ede ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁staff ▁writers ▁of ▁a ▁Niger ian ▁news ▁magazine ▁called ▁New sw atch ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4