Gordian Ezekwe

Life and career

Ezekwe began his academic career in 1959 as a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, where he served until 1962. He then moved to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, as a Lecturer in 1962, and was a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Sheffield, UK, from 1963 to 1964. He returned to Ahmadu Bello University as a Senior Lecturer from 1964 to 1967. During the Nigerian Civil War, he was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka from 1967 to 1972, later becoming Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering there from 1970 to 1973. He rose to Reader at the same university in 1972 and was a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford, UK, in 1974. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka for two terms (1973–74 and 1975–76) and as acting Vice Chancellor in 1976. He was appointed Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1975. From 1976 to July 1989, he was Director of the Projects Development Institute (PRODA) in Enugu, where he supervised inventions including ceiling board from agricultural waste, lager beer from sorghum, ceramic glazes and colours from local minerals, and electrical porcelain insulator. He also founded the Science Equipment Development Institute (SEDI-E) in 1979 while at PRODA. He served as chairman of the Nigerian Coal Corporation, Enugu from 1988 to 1989. In January 1990, General Ibrahim Babangida appointed him Minister of Science and Technology, a post he held until December 1991. In January 1992, he became the first executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), serving until his death. He worked on inventions such as a cassava peeling machine, the Industrial Cooker, and a Mechanical Egg-Turner for small incubators. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science (Hon. D.Sc.) by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1986. A biography of Ezekwe, co-written by Prof. Alexander Animalu, Jeff Unaegbu, and Thaddeus Udeinya, was published in 2018.