Cyril Agodi Onwumechili (20 January 1932 – 16 May 2023) was a Nigerian physicist, academic administrator, and professor of geophysics at 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 ...

and later

University of Nigeria The University of Nigeria, commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal university located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Eastern part of Nigeria. Founded by Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1955 and formally opened on 7 October 1960, the University of Nigeria has thr ...

, Nsukka. He was the fourth Vice Chancellor of the University of Ife (now

Obafemi Awolowo University Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal government-owned university that is located in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife ...

) from January 1979 to December 1982 and the former President/Vice Chancellor of the Anambra State University of Technology, Enugu, Nigeria, from January 1983 to December 1986 (when it incubated to the now

Enugu State University of Science and Technology The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) is a university in Nigeria that was founded as Anambra State University of Technology (ASUTECH) on 30 July 1980, by the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Chief Dr Jim Ifeanyichukw ...

, Enugu; the now

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, also called UNIZIK or NAU in short is a federal university in Nigeria. It consists of two campuses in Anambra State. Its main campus is in Awka (the capital of Anambra State), while its other campus is in Nnewi. ...

, Awka; and the now

Ebonyi State University Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki was founded in 1999 in Abakaliki, Nigeria. The university's medical faculty was established in 1991 as ESUT's Faculty of Health Sciences. Many of its facilities were developed in response to a Guinea worm pandem ...

, Abakaliki). He delivered the Ahiajoku lecture on 20 November 2000. He was the first Nigerian

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 ...

and the second president of the

Nigerian Academy of Science The Nigerian Academy of Science is the official science academy of Nigeria. The academy of science was established on 18 January 1977, as an association of Nigeria's foremost scientists, but incorporated in 1986. It is the apex scientific organ ...

. He was elected as president of the Academy in 1979 to succeed Professor

Victor Adenuga Oyenuga Victor Adenuga Oyenuga, CFR (April 9, 1917 – April 10, 2010) was a Nigerian Professor Emeritus of Agricultural science and pioneer President of the Nigerian Academy of Science. He was the first Emeritus Professor of the University of Ibadan. Ea ...

, the first emeritus professor of the

and the first African professor of Agricultural science.

Early life

Onwumechili was born in 1932 at Inyi town in

Oji River Oji River is a Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria to the south bordering Anambra State and Abia State. Its headquarters are in the town of Oji River. The towns within Oji River L G A are:- Inyi, Achi Agụ, Achị Ụlọ, Awlaw, A ...

, a city in

Enugu State Enugu State ( ig, Ȯra Enugu) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the south, and Anambra State to the west. T ...

, Eastern Nigeria. He attended

King's College, Lagos King's College, Lagos (KCL) is a secondary school in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. It was founded on 20 September 1909 with 10 students on its original site at Lagos Island, adjacent to Tafawa Balewa Square. The school admits only male students ...

and received a bachelor's degree in

Physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

in 1953 and master's degree in physics from the University of Ibadan in 1954. He later received a Doctorate degree from the University of London.

Career

Onwumechili joined the Department of physics, University of Ibadan as academic staff. He was promoted to the rank of Professor in 1962 and appointed Head of the Department of Physics and Dean of Faculty of Science at Ibadan before he left in 1966 to join the services of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka as Head of the Department of Physics. During the Nigerian Civil War, he was appointed Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt. After the Civil War, he took over from Associate Prof. J.C. Ene as Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Nigeria, from December 1970 - June 1971. In 1973, he was elected the first Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, thrice elected (1973-1974; 1975-1976; October 1978- December 1978). Onwumechili left to become the Vice Chancellor, University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife).

Death

Onwumechili died on 16 May 2023, at the age of 91.

References

External links

* http://education.gov.ng/tertiary-education/ * https://www.kwcoeilorin.edu.ng/publications/staff_publications/taiwo_mb/history-of-education-in-nigeria-its-implication-to-educational-management-taiwo-mb-conf.pdf {{DEFAULTSORT:Onwumechili, Cyril Agodi 1932 births 2023 deaths Fellows of the African Academy of Sciences Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Science Nigerian physicists Academic staff of the University of Ibadan University of Ibadan alumni Alumni of the University of London King's College, Lagos alumni People from Enugu State Vice-Chancellors of Obafemi Awolowo University