What Do You Know About Dr. Akanu Ibiam  

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Dr. Akanu Ibiam was a Nigerian statesman and medical practitioner born on November 29, 1906, in Unwana, Afikpo, in present-day Ebonyi State. He was the second son of Chief Ibiam Aka, a traditional ruler of Unwana.

He attended King’s College, Lagos, and then was admitted to the prestigious University of St. Andrews, graduating with an outstanding medical degree in 1934. He attended the Hope Waddell Training Institute in Calabar before moving to Scotland, where he earned a medical degree from the University of Glasgow in 1935. He was accepted as a medical missionary of the Church of Scotland, in which role he established Abiriba Hospital (1936–1945) and later superintended mission hospitals at Itu and Uburu.

After returning to Nigeria, he worked as a medical officer. in different parts of the country, such as Lagos, Calabar, and Enugu. He served as the first indigenous governor of Nigeria’s former Eastern Region. He was governor of the region from 1960 to 1966.

During his stint as governor, he founded several institutions, notably the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria’s first indigenous university.

Akanu Ibiam was a highly renowned statesman who made significant contributions to Nigeria’s growth. Throughout his life, he acquired various awards, including the Order of the Federal Republic and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger. He passed away on December 1, 1995, at the age of 89. Today, Enugu’s Akanu Ibiam International Airport is named after him.

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