OFONAGORO, Sir, (Dr.) Walter Ibekwe,

Date of Birth: State of Origin: Local Government Area: Nwaneele Village/Town: Contact Address: Contact Telephone: Monday (Eke) 24"' June, 1940 Imo U in u a mi Amaigbo STANWAL SECURE!IES LTD., Stock Exchange House 12"' Floor, 2/4 Customs St. Eagos. 234-8033272387 Chief Dr Walter Ibekwe Ofonagoro was born in Port Harcourt Rivers State Nigeria on June ^4 1940 His father Chief Gabriel Obioha Ofonagoro. Duruishimbu IV of Umuanu Amaigbo and Ugochinyere Igbo 1of Amaigbo was then Assistant Transport Manager of UAC Bulk Oil Plant Port Harcourt. His mother, Lolo Gladys Ogonnaya Ofonagoro was a dealer in UAC Textile. He is the third child and second son in a family often. An erudite scholar, a brilliant and distinguished Historian of International repute, noteable for his finesse, dexterity and thoroughness in whatever he lays his hands on. Education Baptist Day School Port Harcourt 1947 1954 Baptist High School Port Harcourt 1955 1959 WASC Grade 1,1959 Holy Family College Abak Akwa Ibom State Nigeria 1960 1961 H.SC with Distinctions and Exemption Trinity College University of Toronto Canada 1962 1966 BA. 1st Class Hon. Modern History, 1966 Graduate School of Arts and Science, Faculty of Political Science, Columbia University New York City, 1966 1972 MA in African Economic History with Distinction June 1967, Ph D in African Economic History with Distinction on February 2nd 1972 Job Experience and Employment History Tutor in English, Latin and History, Baptist High School Port Harcourt Jan 1962 May 1962 Columbia University Preceptor in History September 1968 - June 1969 Instructor in History Columbia University, Dept of History June 1970 Assistant Professor of History February 1972 Associate Professor of History Columbia University 1973- 1976 University ofLagos , Senior Lecturer, Dept ofHistory, 1975 1981 ( Resigned to go into Politics and Business) Visiting or Adjunct teaching capacities at Universities of New York, City and Queen's Colleges, Long Island University and Rutgers College of Rutgers University Organised the Columbia-Morningside Lecture Series on African Heritage 1968 1976 Participated in recruiting and teaching College Teachers from Developing Institution Appointed Adviser to History Majors at Columbia University and member of University Senate 1972 Served in the Postgraduate Committee which established the Post Graduate School of the Institution 1978/1979 Session, Visiting Senior Lecturer in Economic History at the University ofIbadan Awards, Honours, Prizes and Accolades Festival of Arts Prize in Literature 1959 Elder Dempster Lines/Federal Ministry of Education Students Exchange Programme to the UK 1959 African Students Foundation of Canada Scholarship 1962 1966 James Handerson Prize in History, Trinity College Toronto 1963 Maurice Cody Prize in History University ofToronto 1965 The Falconer Prize of Trinity College Literary and Debating Society 1965 . flKo,w In l%5hrwasXL Oik* Scholar of Trinity College Toron.o. He declined the Makerere Scholarsh.p .962, .he Un.vers.ty of Ibadan Scholarship 1962 and the Wisconsin Scholarship 1966 USA/UNESCO Fellowship. AFGRAD Fellowship ofthe African American Institute 1966 1970 Faculty Fellowship ofColumbia University 1966 1970 Honours Fellowship of the School of International Affairs, Columbia University 1968 The Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Fellowship 1969 1970 The Travelling Fellowship ofColumbia University 1969 1970 Faculty Post-Graduate Fellowship of the City University of New York 1975 Elected Associate Fellow ofthe Historical Society ofNigeria 1991 Mission of the Church world wide. Awarded Commonwealth Fellowship of Commonwealth Journalist Association ( FCJA) 1997 Recipient of25 Academic awards and Fellowships Se^on"^.n^T0^2, Cen^ 2002 by ,he In.erna.iona, Biographical Cen,re Cambridge Eng.and Distinguished Service Award from the Department of History University of Lagos 2004 Inherited the traditional Title of Duruishimbu Vof Umuanu Amaigbo 1990 Inherited from his ancestors the Ozo Title of Nze Amaigbo Duruofo II1985 Ugochinyere Igbo IIof Amaigbo 1993 IkeObodoAmandugba 1989 ImoState Okaa Omeeof Umuode Amaigbo 1982 NwanwaBu Vgwu Isiekenesi 1990 Oji Orna EduOwerri 1995 Okwu Du Nka Enugwu- Vkwu (NRI) 1995 Ogbufuta Igbo Mma Neni 1995 Ike Obodo Nike 1995 Onu NaEkwiiru Oha of Orlu Zone Imo State 1995 • Head of NZE Na OZO titled Elders of Umuanu and Patron of Nze na Ozo Amaigbo. • Member, Baptist High School Alumnus Association • Member, Holy Family College Abak Alumnus Association Publications Dr Ofonagoro is a prolific and brilliant writer and has published extensively in Canada, USA, UK, Europe and Africa. The list is long but among them are: Tradeand Imperialism in Southern Nigeria 1881 1929 New York, 1979 Readingin Federalism (with Cole and Akinyemi) Lagos. Nigerian Institute of International Affairs 1979 TheCurrencyRevolution inSouthern Nigeria, University of California Los Angeles 1976 TheStory ofNigerian General Elections 1979 Lagos Federal Ministry of Information 1979 There are numerous journal articles in academic and learned journals. E.g. in Journal of Economic History. Economic History Review and the Journal of Historical Society of Nigeria. Contributions to National Political Developmentand Service Contributor, occasional feature articles and editorial to Eastern Nigerian Guardian Port Harcourt 1959 1960 Frequent Contributor to Radio and Television and Newspaper Discussions in Canada e.g. participated in theSunriseSemester of CBS TV. Served as Consultant to Independent Producers on Current Affairs, films and Programmes on Africa Appointed Consultant Political Analyst to the Nigeria Television Authority 1979 by the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His programme Verdict 79 was epic on the Election of 1979. The Programme ended in March 1980. Helped to restructure the Federal Ministry of Information Appointed Chairman News Agency of Nigeria 1982 Appointed Director General Nigeria Television Authority 1983 Director of Communications , TOFA Presidential Campaign Organisation under the defunct National Republican Convention ( NRC) Appointed Member of the Constitutional Conference Commission 1994- 1995 where he served as Chairman of the Organization, Conference Convention and Publicity Committee of Constitutional Conference Commission which served as the Secretariat of the Constitutional Conference. Appointed a member of some other sub committees at the Conference eg. Committee on National Defence, Committee on Fundamental Human Rights, Press Freedom and Citizenship, Constitution Drafting Committee • On March 20, 1995 he was appointed Federal Minister of Information and Culture as the Constitution Conference was winding up. He thus became a member of the Federal Executive Council. • Embarked on Laundering the Image of the Country which had been grossly battered overseas. Within a few months in office, Dr Ofonagoro was able to put a better image of Nigeria on the World Map. • He had earlier led a Federal Government Delegation to Foreign Countries including the delegation to the International Symposium on the Renaissance, Sophia Bulgaria, ( 1980) • Delegation to Shipyard Split, Yugoslavia to take delivery of MV River Maje on behalf of Federal Minister of Transport 1981 • Delegation to North Korea , Iran, Iraq and Ethiopia 1996 • Delegation to Germany and WIPO Geneva (1995). Among his responsibilities was to negotiate and sign cultural and bilateral agreements on behalf of the Country with friendly foreign countries. • In 1996, Dr Ofonagoro was elected Chairman of the Intergovernmental Council for the Development of Communications Among NonAligned Countries ( IGC) • Chairman of the Council of Information Ministers of Non- Aligned Countries (COMINAC). There are 113 member countries in COMINAC. • Invested Corps Marshall of WAI - C Brigade of Nigeria. • Other positions of Service held concurrently, included Chairman Nigerian Committee, World Decade for Cultural Development ( 1995 date), Vice Chairman PAN African News Agency 1995 date, Chairman National Council of Information and Culture • He was the Chairman of Council of Information Ministers of ECOWAS Countries. • Appointed Member of Vision 2010 in 1997 Experience in Business and Economic Management • Director/Chairman of the Finance and Establishment Committee of the Board Amalgamated Tin Mines of Nigeria Bukuru, Plateau State, the largest tin Mining Company in Nigeria 1981 1983 • Served as Chairman of Finance and Establishment Committee of the ATMN Board of Directors 1981 1984 • Director of Stanwal Builders Nigeria Ltd 1980 • Chairman /CEO Stanwal Consultants Nig. Ltd. • Chairman /CEO. SUNOD Transport and Haulage Company Ltd • Director of Thomas Kingsley Securities Ltd ( Member of Nigeria Stock Exchange) 1989 1995 • Chairman Stanwal Securities Ltd ( Member of Nigeria Stock Exchange, 1997 date • Principal Consultant, Stanwal Consultants Ltd 1997 date • Principal Shareholder, Amaigbo Community Bank Ltd 1997 - date • Gained wide experience investing in Equities in the New York Stock Exchange since 1970 and the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 1997 • Nigerian Stock Exchange hosted Dr Ofonagoro to private Luncheon at the Metropolitan Club Victoria Island, Lagos in appreciation of his role in popularizing Capital Market through Television Dr. Ofonagoro ismarriedtoLoloStephanieNirmalaOfonagoro. Sheholdsthetraditional titlesof • LoloUgbalaDuruofoIIofAmaigbo.. • Lolo Ugochinyere Igbo II ofAmaigbo • Lolo Eze Nwanyi Nike • Lolo Ugosimba Enugwukwu Aneducationists. MrsOfonagoro earned her Bachelorsand MastersDegreesinEarlyChildhood Education fromtheCity University ofNew York 1973and 1975and has been since 1978. Head ofthe University of Lagos Women's Society Nursery School. She isan Iconon her own right. The marriage is blessed with four children, one daughterand three sons. DrOfonagoro's hobbies include Jazz Music, Public Speaking. Tennis.Soccer.Travelling. Politics, and Capital Market. Heisa Life Member and Patron ofNigerian RedCross. Patronof VariousStudent Unions.YouthClubs, and Nigerian UnionofJournalists across the Country. Source Publication: The Igbo Icon