Viola Adaku Onwuliri (born 18 June 1956) is a university professor of Biochemistry and politician who served as

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 ...

Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

Life

Viola Onwuliri is the first daughter of the Royal Family of His Highness

Eze Eze (pronounced ) is an Igbo word which means King. Such words as Igwe and '' Obi'', plus others, are used by Igbo people as titles of respect and homage to the Eze. Igwe is derived from the Igbo word ''Igwekala'' or ''Eluigwekala'', "the sky or ...

Cletus and Ugoeze Dorathy Oparaoji of Amuzi,

Ahiazu Mbaise Ahiazu Mbaise is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. It is as a result of a merger between Ahiara and Ekwerazu. Its headquarters are in the town of Afo oru. There are fourteen (14) towns that make up Ahiazu Mbaise. They include; Mpam, ...

LGA,

Imo State Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its n ...

. She comes from

Imo state Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its n ...

and was born in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

in 1956. She attended Owerri Girls' Secondary School before the

University of Nigeria, Nsukka 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 ...

where she achieved a 2nd Class Upper 2:1 in Biochemistry. She also attended 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. ...

where she achieved a PGCE, an MSc in Applied Organic Chemistry and a PhD in Molecular Biochemistry. She then went for certificate courses at

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

and

Harvard School of Public Health The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the public health school of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. The school grew out of the Harvard-MIT School for Health Officers, the nation's first ...

in the USA.Viola Onwuliri CV
Nigerian Embassy to Japan, Retrieved 10 February 2016 Viola returned to Nigeria where she took a job as a graduate assistant in 1981; in 2004 she became professor of Biochemistry 2004 at the

. During the period she and her husband, Celestine Onwuliri, had five children. In 2004 Onwuliri became the first Nigerian and first African female to be elected member of the Geneva based

International AIDS Society The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world's largest association of HIV/AIDS professionals, with 11,600 members from over 170 countries , including clinicians, people living with HIV, service providers, policy makers and others. It aims to r ...

(IAS) and became its African regional representative from 2004 till 2008 and was reelected in 2008 for another four years., IAS Governing members
International AIDS Society, Retrieved 9 August 2018 , IAS
IAS, Retrieved 9 August 2018Biography
ECUDOMEF, Retrieved 9 August 2018 In 2011 she was a candidate to be a deputy governor of Imo state and ran with Gov.

Ikedi Ohakim Ikedi Ohakim (born 4 August 1957) is a Nigerian businessman who became governor of Imo State in the South Eastern region in May 2007, standing for the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). He later switched to the People's Democratic Party (PDP). ...

,Viola Adaku Onwuliri
Notable Nigerians, OnlineNigeria.com, Retrieved 10 February 2016 after they lost the election she was offered a Cabinet position as Commissioner by the opposing party Governor

Rochas Okorocha Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha (born 22 September 1962) is a Nigerian politician of Igbo extraction, from Imo State. He is the senator representing Imo West Senatorial district at the 9th Nigerian Senate. He is also the former Governor of Imo St ...

but she turned it down to the surprise of many.The Viola Onwuliri fear factor
28 February 2014, Retrieved 8 August 2017 She later became a Federal Minister with her own party and made the news when on 17 October 2013 she led the Nigeria delegation to win the seat of the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...

(UNSC) in a Global election just two years after leaving the council; this had not been expected to be achieved until much later in around 10 years time., Nigeria Wins UN Security Council Seat
18 Oct 2013, Retrieved 8 August 2017
2 December 2013, Retrieved 8 August 2017, UN Security Council- Onwuliri on the wheels of destiny
Independent Newspaper, 3 November 2013, Retrieved 8 August 2017, Nigeria wins United Nations Security Council Seat
Newsexpressngr, 17 October 2013, Retrieved 8 August 2017 She was also in the spotlight when she called for Libya's ruler, Moammar Gadhafi, to resign stating that the Libyan rebel council best represented the Libyan people.Nigeria Recognizes Libya Rebels
22 August 2011,Voice of America, Retrieved 10 February 2016 The same month as Foreign Minister, she visited the scene of the Abuja United Nations bombing which killed over 20 people. She was quoted saying: "This is not an attack on Nigeria but on the global community. An attack on the world." Disaster struck with the Dana Air Flight 992 plane crash in June 2012 that killed her husband Celestine Onwuliri and over 150 others. He had been the

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

of the

Federal University of Technology Owerri The Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) is a federal government university in Owerri West, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. The university is bounded by the communities of Eziobodo, Umuchima, Ihiagwa and Obinze. It is the premier ...

(FUTO).
Prof Onwuliri Condolence register, Retrieved 9 August 2018Knights Mourn leader Killed in plane crash
9 June 2012, Dr.Ejaife, Retrieved 8 August 2017I Still Miss My Late Husband, Says Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof Viola Onwuliri
IMOTrumpet, Retrieved 10 February 2016 As the wife of the Vice Chancellor of FUTO and the Founder and President of the FUTO Women's Association (FUTOWA) (2006-2011),
5 December 2009 Retrieved 14 August 2017
Online Nigeria,Retrieved 9 August 2017 she played a critical role in job creation, the development of FUTO through FUTOWA including the creation of childcare facilities for staff and students, the establishment of the child development centre and the elevation of the status of women in FUTO. She caused a stir in late 2013 as Foreign Minister when she requested that the Imo Governor at the time give an expenditure account of monies in form of allocations from the Federal Government he received on behalf of Imo State, including Sure-P Fund, Erosion control, Flood money, LGA Allocations, NDDC allocations and other Sundry monies As Foreign Affairs Minister she worked to re-establish and improve relationships with Nigerians in the Diaspora, as a first step towards creating an environment to attract Diaspora Nigerians' participation in accomplishing the Agenda of the President of Nigeria, President and to attract increased Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Direct Remittances which rose to 8billion dollars and 21 billion dollars respectively during her tenure,Nigeria attracts $8bn in Foreign Direct Investment – FGs
9 August 2014 Retrieved 9 August 2017
21 December 2016 Retrieved 9 August 2017 working to promote respect of and improve the treatment of Nigerians in the diaspora; and she became the first seating Nigerian Minister to be officially hosted at the esteemed historically Black University,

.Minister in the Diaspora
16 November 2011 Retrieved 9 August 2017 As Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs she served from 11 July 2011- 22 October 2014, which included serving as the State-1 Minister and then the Supervising Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2013 and 2014 before being moved to the Education Ministry as its State-1 Minister.Cabinet reshuffle: Onwuliri now Minister of Education (State)
22 October 2014, Retrieved 28 February 2016 In 2013, she won the chairmanship of the GlobalPOWER Women Network Africa.
31 May 2013, Retrieved 8 August 2017 Later that year, she received the European Union Honorary Platinum Leadership Award in Politics on 28 November 2013 in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Sweden., Hon Viola Onwuliri EU Award
28 November 2013, Retrieved 8 August 2017 Onwuliri was the Chairperson of the African continental women's society SWAAN and worked as Principal Investigator and Project Director in partnership with the

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was ...

.Havard APIN
Retrieved 9 August 2017APIN
Retrieved 8 August 2017APIN
Retrieved 8 August 2017 President of Nigeria, President

Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957)Lawson Heyford, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006. is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to fo ...

moved Onwuliri from the Foreign Office to be the Minister of State for Education in October 2014 when

Ezenwo Nyesom Wike Ezenwo Nyesom Wike (born 13 December 1967), is a Nigerian politician and lawyer who is the sixth and current Governor of Rivers State. He is an Ikwerre from Rumuepirikom in Obio-Akpor, Rivers State. He is a member of the People's Democratic ...

resigned.Viola Onwuliri, most performing minister, moved to fill Education
29 November 2014, Uncova Retrieved 14 August 2017 In 2015, the Nigerian government appointed Onwuliri as the Pro-Chancellor of the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) , Maritime University starts
12 June 2015, Retrieved 8 August 2017, Nigerian Maritime University
5 May 2017, Retrieved 8 August 2017 and as its Chairman of council. , Amaechi and the Maritime University
31 January 2016, Retrieved 9 August 2017 , Delta Canvasses support for Maritime University
10 June 2015, Retrieved 9 August 2017

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Onwuliri, Viola Adaku 1955 births Living people People from Mbaise Foreign ministers of Nigeria Education ministers of Nigeria University of Nigeria alumni

Life

See also

References