List of Igbo people

The list of Igbo people includes notable individuals who have full or significant ancestry traced back to the Igbo people of South-East and South-South geopolitical regions of Nigeria.^[1]

This page also contains names of people who traced their African heritage through DNA testing to the Igbo ethnic group.

[1]

Name	Born	Death	Notability
Maria Louisa Bustill	8 November 1853	20 January 1904	Quaker schoolteacher; the mother of Paul Robeson; and the wife of the Reverend William Drew Robeson^[69]
Michael Echeruo	14 March 1937	–
Tessy Okoli	–	–
E. Nolue Emenanjo	1943	–
Uche Nduka	14 October 1963	–
Eni Njoku	6 November 1917	22 December 1974	The first Nigerian Vice Chancellor
Onuora Nzekwu	19 February 1928	21 April 2017
P. N. Okeke-Ojiudu	1914	1995
Kenneth Dike	17 December 1917	26 October 1983	The pioneer Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos and University of Nigeria Nsukka
John Ogbu	9 May 1939	20 August 2003
Ogwo E. Ogwo	7 June 1949	–
Emeka Enejere	8 August 1944		The 14th Pro Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Zephrinus Chidubem Njoku	15 May 1959
Emmanuel Chinwokwu	-		Professor of New Testament Studies at University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Patrick Obi Ngoddy			Nigerian professor of Food Engineering and Processing at the Faculty of Agriculture
Sonny Chidebelu			Professor of Agribusiness
Sophia Obiajulu Ogwude			Professor of English and Comparative studies
Florence Orabueze	30 March 1966	–	Professor of English and literary studies
Edith Nwosu	22 March 1962	–	Professor of Corporate Law
Basil Ezeanolue	17 November 1953	–	Professor of Otorhinolaryngology
Emenike Ejiogu			Professor of electrical and electronics engineering from University of Nigeria Nsukka
Ogbonna Oparaku			Professor of electronic engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Name	Born	Death	Notability	Reference
Adiele Afigbo	22 November 1937	9 March 2009	Historian known for the history and historiography of Africa, more particularly Igbo history
Kenneth Dike	17 December 1917	26 October 1983
Paul Robeson, Jr.	2 November 1927	26 April 2014		^[28]

Pearlena Igbokwe			President of Universal Television, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal Television Group, first woman of African descent to head a major U.S. television studio	^[70]^[71]^[72]
Nduka Obaigbena			Media mogul, founder of Nigerian-based African newspaper THISDAY, African -focused style & culture magazine Arise and Lagos-based Nigerian 24-hour international news channel Arise News
Jim Ovia			Nigerian businessman; founder of Zenith Bank
Jerome Udoji
Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu	1909	1966	Business mogul and father of Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, the former governor of the Eastern Region and leader of Biafra
P. N. Okeke-Ojiudu	1914	1995
Omu Okwei	1872	1943	Merchant queen of the River Niger	^[73]
C. T. Onyekwelu	1898
Mathias Ugochukwu	1926	1990
Evelyn Okere	4 November 1973		Nigerian businesswoman, publisher, fashion designer and the Managing Director/CEO of St. Eve Concepts.
Godwin Maduka			Nigerian doctor, businessman, philanthropist and the founder of Las Vegas Pain Institute and Medical Center
Emeka Offor			Businessman and Philanthropist. The founder and Chairman and The Sir Emeka Of for Foundation of Chrome Group
Kennedy Okonkwo			Businessman and philanthropist
Charles Nwodo Jr.			Businessman and philanthropist
Aku Odinkemelu			Nigerian lawyer and corporate entrepreneur
Nwamaka Okoye			Nigerian businesswoman and serial entrepreneur, founder of Housessories Ltd, Gearshift Africa, former president of Stanford Seed Transformation Program Nigeria	^[74]^[75]

Name	Born	Death
Adaora Udoji	1967	–
Chinweizu	1943
Christina Anyanwu	1951	–
Chude Jideonwo
Chima Simone	28 July 1976
Joseph Egemonye	1933	2011

Name	Born	Death	Notability
Gogo Chu Nzeribe
Okey Ndibe	1960	–	Novelist, poet, political activist from Yola, Nigeria. He is the author of Arrows of Rain, a critically well-reviewed novel published in 2000.
Uzor Ngoladi	1977	-	Nwriter, journalist, and activist.
Chidi Odinkalu	1968	-	Writer, Lawyer, activist, Professor, International Human Rights Law

Name	Born	Death	Notability	Reference
Nnamdi Azikiwe	1904	1966	1st president of Nigeria
Kasim Reed			57th Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, US (2010-2018)
Azuka Okwuosa	3 November 1959		Former Anambra State Commissioner for Works and Transport
Benjamin Kalu			Member of House of Representatives, representing Bende federal constituency
Enyinnaya Abaribe
Chuka Umunna	17 October 1978	–
Catherine Obianuju Acholonu
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi	3 March 1924	29 July 1966	First military and second substantial Head of State of Nigeria
Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu
John Abraham Godson	25 November 1970		First Black Member of the Polish Parliament in Polish history. Nigerian Senatorial Candidate.
Frank Ajobena
Dora Akunyili	14 July 1954	7 June 2014	Former Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of Nigeria and current (since 17 December 2008) Nigerian Minister of Information and Communications.
Rotimi Amaechi	27 May 1965	–	former Governor of Rivers State and current minister of transportation
Bonaventure Enemali	21 June 1984	–	Commissioner for Youth Empowerment and Creative Economy in Anambra State
Chris Okewulonu	24 December 1960	–	Current Chief of Staff to Imo State Government
Collins Nweke	14 July 1965	–	Municipal Legislator Ostend City Council Belgium and former Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Europe
Emeka Anyaoku	18 January 1933	–	Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations
Nnamdi Azikiwe	16 November 1904	11 May 1996	Nigeria's foremost President and the Owelle of Onitsha
Chukwuemeka Chikelu
Uche Chukwumerije
Edward Wilmot Blyden	3 August 1832	7 February 1912	Americo-Liberian educator, writer, diplomat, and politician in Liberia and Sierra Leone.	^[78]
Kema Chikwe			Academic and politician; former federal minister of transport and later minister of aviation; and former Nigeria's ambassador to Ireland
Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme	1932	–	Renowned architect, lawyer, and politician. Formerly, vice-president of the 2nd federal republic of Nigeria (1979 - 1983)
Martin Elechi			Former Governor of Ebonyi State
Dave Umahi			Current Governor of Ebonyi State
Evan Enwerem	29 October 1935	2 August 2007
Virginia Etiaba			Educator; politician; former deputy governor (and briefly governor) of Anambra State.
Herbert Eze
Akanu Ibiam	29 November 1906	December 1995	Medical missionary who later became the first governor of the Eastern Region from 1960 to 1966. The Enugu International Airport is named after him.
Toni Iwobi
Maurice Iwu	21 April 1950	–	Former head of INEC
Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu	4 September 1942	–
Orji Uzor Kalu	21 April 1960	–	Oligarch and former governor of Abia State
K. O. Mbadiwe
Ojo Maduekwe	6 May 1945	–	Former Federal Minister under Obasanjo and Yar'Adua administrations.
Chinwoke Mbadinuju
Sam Mbakwe	1929	5 January 2004	One of the chief former governors of Imo State. The international cargo airport in Owerri is named after him.
Chris Ngige	8 August 1952	–	Former governor of Anambra State
Akachukwu Sullivan Nwankpo	1962		Former Special Advisor to the President Goodluck Jonathan on Technical Matters
Nkechi Justina Nwaogu	1956		Senator who represents the People's Democratic Party in Abia State.

Name	Born	Death	Notability
Okoro Idozuka
Emeka Onwuamaegbu
Aguiyi Ironsi	1924	1966	The first military head of state of Nigeria. He assumed power after the 1966 military coup that killed the then Prime Minister, Sir Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. After 6 months in power, he was killed in a counter coup led by his eventual successor, General Yakubu Gowon and General Theophilus Danjuma.
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu
Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu
Azubuike Ihejirika
Ebitu Ukiwe
Ejike Obumneme Aghanya

Name	Born	Death	Notability
Chigozie C. Asiabaka	29 September 1953		Agricultural scientist
Charles Ejogo
Philip Emeagwali	1954	–	Computer scientist/geologist, one of two winners of the 1989 Gordon Bell Prize, a prize from the IEEE, for his use of the Connection Machine supercomputer
Bisi Ezerioha	6 January 1972		Engineer, entrepreneur
Ejikeme Patrick Nwosu	4 February 1983		Scientist, Inventor
Bartholomew Nnaji
John Ogbu	9 May 1939	20 August 2003
Chike Obi	7 April 1921	13 March 2008	Mathematician
Ike Ferdinand Odimegwu			Philosopher
Josephat Obi Oguejiofor			Philosopher
Rita Orji
Gordian Ezekwe	1929	25 June 1997	Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Minister of Science and Technology, inventor
F. Nnabuenyi Ugonna	12 October 1936	5 June 1990
Fabian Udekwu	1928	17 November 2006	Cardiac surgeon, distinguished professor of surgery at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and a pioneer of open-heart surgery in Africa
Walter Enwezor		Agricultural scientist

Name	Born	Death	Notability	Reference
Chioma Ajunwa	25 December 1970	—
Onochie Achike	31 January 1975	–
Kriss Akabusi	28 November 1958	–
Chinaza Amadi	12 September 1987	–
Clement Chukwu	7 July 1973	–
Vivian Chukwuemeka	4 May 1975	–
Innocent Egbunike	30 November 1961	–
Uchenna Emedolu	17 September 1976	–
Obinna Eregbu	9 November 1969	–
Joy Eze	23 April 1988	–
Davidson Ezinwa	22 November 1971	–
Osmond Ezinwa	22 November 1971	–
Chidi Imoh	27 August 1963	–
Obinna Metu	12 July 1988	–
Ngozi Monu	7 January 1981	–
Ogonna Nnamani	29 July 1983	–		^[85]
Francis Obikwelu	22 November 1978	–
Chinonye Ohadugha	24 March 1986	–
Christine Ohuruogu	17 May 1984	–	MBE an English sprinter former World and Olympic Champion in the 400 metres	^[86]^[87]^[88]
Emmanuel Okoli	13 November 1973	–
Marilyn Okoro	23 September 1984	–		^[89]
Christy Opara-Thompson	24 December 1971	–
Charity Opara	20 May 1972	–
Emeka Udechuku	10 July 1979	–
Chima Ugwu	19 July 1973	–

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