Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye was born in 1940 in Plateau State in Northern
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, and is a
Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
geophysicist
Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term ''geophysics'' som ...
. She is the first female physics professor in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and her work in
geophysics
Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term ''geophysics'' som ...
has played an important role in mining in Nigeria.
Early life and education
Ajakaiye was born in 1940 in the city of
Jos
Jos is a city in the north central region of Nigeria. The city has a population of about 900,000 residents based on the 2006 census. Popularly called "J-Town", it is the administrative capital and largest city of Plateau State.
During British ...
, the capital of
Plateau State
Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself.
Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...
in the northern region of Nigeria. She was the fifth of sixth children. Her parents believed in equal education of the sexes and distributed household chores among both the male and female children. In 1962 she graduated from the
University of Ibadan
The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 196 ...
with a degree in physics. She received a master's degree at the
University of Birmingham
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, and in 1970 received her Ph.D. in geophysics from
Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is a federal government research university in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on 4 October 1962, as the pioneer university in Northern Nigeria. It was founded and named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, Al ...
in Nigeria. Originally interested in mathematics, Ajakaiye says she chose to pursue geophysics because she believed it could help her country.
[
Ajakaiye attended the Second International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists held in ]Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
in 1967. A picture of her at the conference banquet, alongside fellow Nigerian physicist Ebun Adegbohungbe, was published in ''The Woman Engineer'''s report of the conference in July 1967.
Career
Ajakaiye became the first female professor of physics in Africa in 1980. She has taught at Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Jos
The University of Jos, abbreviated as Unijos, is a Federal University in Jos, Plateau State, central Nigeria.
History
What became the University of Jos was established in November 1971 from the satellite campus of the University of Ibadan. ...
, serving as the dean of natural sciences at the latter. Her work with geovisualization has been used to locate both mineral deposits and groundwater in Nigeria. She has also created a gravity map of Nigeria,[
] working with several of her female students.[ After retirement she devoted her time to a Nigeria-based charity, CCWA, which she had founded in 1991.
]
Awards
Ajakaiye has been recognized for both her scientific advancements and her aid to the nation of Nigeria. The Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society honored her for her work, making her the first woman to receive the award. She was also the first black African to be named a fellow of the Geological Society of London.[
Books and Publications
* Course Manual and Atlas of Structural Styles on Reflection Profiles from the Niger Delta
* A Bouguer Gravity Map of Nigeria][
* A Gravity Interpretation of the Liruei Younger Granite Ring Complex of Northern Nigeria]
See also
* Timeline of women in science
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ajakaiye, Deborah
Living people
1940 births
Nigerian geophysicists
Nigerian women geologists
Yoruba women scientists
Nigerian women scientists
University of Ibadan alumni
Alumni of the University of Birmingham
Academic staff of Ahmadu Bello University
Yoruba women academics
Nigerian women academics
Academic staff of the University of Ibadan
Academic staff of the University of Jos
Nigerian expatriates in the United Kingdom
Yoruba people