Emeritus Prof. Pius Nwankwo Okeke is a Nigerian astronomer and educator born on 30th October 1941.
He attended primary school in Oraukwu where he excelled in Mathematics and further attended secondary school at Washington Memorial Grammar School Onitsha from 1957-1962.
Prof. Okeke attended Emergency Science School in Lagos where he did his A level in 1965. After that he proceeded to the University of Lagos to study Physics. However due to the civil war, he was transferred to the University of Nigeria where he completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics in 1971.
Prof. Okeke completed his PhD in 1975, which made him the first ever Nigerian to attain that height in Physics.
In 1979, Prof. Okeke became a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge. Upon his return to Nigeria he became a Professor and the leader of Space Research Centre at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was also the head of Department of Physics and Astronomy and the then Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences from 1999 to 2002 as an Emeritus Professor at the University of Nigeria.
Having earned numerous educational qualifications, Prof. Okeke was a visiting scientist at the University of Tueningen (1995), Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics (1997) and a senior research fellow at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
The Distinguished Prof. was an External Board Member of the National Research Foundation South Africa (2000) has also served as President of African Astronomical Society and Director for the Centre for Basic Space Science.
Prof. Okeke has immensely contributed to the field of space science through strong postgraduate programmes and research facilities. He pioneered Space Science in Africa by manufacturing an A 25 meter Radio Telescope, one of the biggest in Africa.
This great literary icon has written fifteen textbooks and many other publications on Physics and Astronomy and is the author of the popular Physics textbook, “Senior Secondary Physics”. “Fundamentals of Physics”also written by him is considered by many as the most widely used textbook on Physics in Nigeria.
Prof. Okeke has many awards and recognitions to his credit such as: Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science (1998); Fellow of the Africa Academy of Science (2017); United Consultant for Space Science in Africa and Recipient of the UN/NASA Awards for his work in Advancing Astronomy in Africa.
He is regarded as the Father of Astronomy in Nigeria for his versatility and contributions in the field of study.
The Management and Staff of Nigerian Copyright Commission wishes this National treasure and Copyright Icon best wishes on the occasion of his birthday.
