Science World celebrates Emeritus Professor Pius Nwankwo Okeke who is widely regarded as the father of astronomy in Nigeria.
He was born on 30 October, 1941, iñ Oraukwu, Idemili Local Government in Anambra State, southeast Nigeria.
He had his early education in his hometown and Onitsha before moving on to the University of Lagos.
When the civil war started in 1967, he transferred to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics in 1971.
He continued and obtained a PhD in 1975. He is the first to get a doctorate from UNN.
PN Okeke did his post-doctoral work in University of Cambridge.
His pioneering work in space research led to the establishment of the Space Research Centre in UNN.
When Nigeria’s space agency, National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, was created in 1999, the Centre for Basic Space Science was formed with him in UNN. The centre grew to African Regional Centre for Space Weather Research.
He was President of African Astronomical Society and was the African winner of UN/NASA award in 2007.
Emeritus Professor Okeke is also an outstanding educator and wrote “Senior Secondary Physics” textbook to motivate young people to study physics.
He is married to Professor Francisca Nneka Okeke, also a physicist, who is reputed to be the first female Head of Department in UNN.
They have six children.
