Emeka Anyaoku facts for kids

Chief Emeka Anyaoku (born 18 January 1933) is a Nigerian diplomat. He is from the Igbo group. He became the third Commonwealth Secretary-General. Born in Obosi, Nigeria, Anyaoku studied at Merchants of Light School. He later attended the University College of Ibadan, where he earned a degree in Classics. Besides his international work, Chief Anyaoku still serves as Ichie Adazie of Obosi. This is a traditional chieftainship role.

Early Life and Family

Eleazar Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Anyaoku was born on January 18, 1933. His parents were Emmanuel and Cecilia Anyaoku. They lived in Obosi, a large village in eastern Nigeria. His father, Emmanuel, worked for the railways and later in a hospital. He then became a catechist before returning to farming.

Cecilia, his mother, grew up with a guardian, Rev. Ekpunobi. He was the first Anglican Priest from Obosi. Emeka was the second child of Emmanuel and Cecilia. He grew up with five siblings.

Education and Early Career

At age seven, Emeka Anyaoku began school in a rural area. He later moved to stay with his father's cousin, Nathaniel Enwezor. Mr. Enwezor was a headmaster at a school in Agbor.

For high school, young Anyaoku attended Merchants of Light School (MOLS) at Oba. It was a boarding school. The founder, Dr. Enoch Oli, taught students about hard work and good character. Emeka was known as a smart and brilliant student. His friends noticed his leadership qualities. They even called him "lawyer" because he was always logical in his arguments.

One classmate, S.I. Metu, said Emeka was a good mixer. He was friendly and rarely had enemies. Metu also remembered Anyaoku as a very studious student. He was always reading or working. When he needed to relax, he would tell jokes. Anyaoku was among the top students. He took 10 subjects in his final exams and earned the school's highest pass.

After high school, Anyaoku taught mathematics, Latin, and English. He taught at Emmanuel College in Owerri from 1952 to 1954. He was known as a careful and humorous teacher. His Latin teacher at MOLS inspired him to study Classics. This led him to the University College of Ibadan. It was a new university linked to the University of London.

During his university years in the mid-1950s, Nigeria was debating its future. People discussed when Nigeria should become independent from Britain. They also talked about its political structure. Anyaoku was a student union leader. He campaigned for a united Nigeria. He and other leaders sent messages to important political figures.

In 1959, Anyaoku earned his degree in Classics. He then joined the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) in Lagos. He trained in London and at the Royal Institute of Public Administration. On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained independence. Anyaoku returned to the CDC office in Lagos.

Marriage and Family Life

In December 1961, Emeka Anyaoku met Princess Ebunola Olubunmi Solanke. She was a Yoruba lady. Princess Bunmi had studied in England. Emeka and Bunmi got married in Lagos on November 10, 1962.

They have four children. Their daughter, Adiba, is a lawyer. They also have three sons: Oluyemisi, Obiechina, and Emenike. Emeka has two grandchildren, Irenne and Osita.

In 1980, Anyaoku became the Ichie Adazie of Obosi. In 1990, he received another honor. The 19 communities of Idemili Clan gave him the title of Ugwumba Idemili. His wife, Bunmi, also holds chieftaincy titles. She is known for her welfare work in Nigeria and the Commonwealth.

On his 91st birthday in 2024, Anyaoku opened a new center in Obosi. The Emeka and Bunmi Anyaoku Centre has a library and a museum. It aims to support education, democracy, and human rights. The museum displays artifacts from Nigeria and other countries. The library holds his personal papers from his time as Secretary-General.

A Diplomatic Career Begins

In early 1962, Anyaoku met Nigeria's Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The Prime Minister was impressed by Anyaoku. He encouraged him to join the Nigerian Foreign Service. After a tough interview, Anyaoku joined in April 1962. Within a month, he became Personal Assistant to the Permanent Secretary. He helped in setting up the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in May 1963. In 1963, he was posted to Nigeria's mission at the United Nations in New York.

In 1966, he joined the Commonwealth Secretariat. This is an organization that helps Commonwealth countries work together. He became Assistant Director of International Affairs.

Working for the Commonwealth

In 1977, leaders of Commonwealth countries chose Anyaoku as Deputy Secretary-General. In 1983, Nigeria's government asked him to be its Foreign Minister. After a change in government later that year, he returned to his Deputy Secretary-General role. He had the support of Nigeria and all Commonwealth governments.

At a meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 1989, Anyaoku was elected the third Commonwealth Secretary-General. He was re-elected in 1993 for a second term. His second term began on April 1, 1995.

Key Achievements as Secretary-General

Anyaoku worked to make the Commonwealth stronger. He promoted democracy and good governance. One of his biggest projects was helping South Africa become a democracy. He strongly supported the fight against Apartheid. In 1990, after Nelson Mandela was released from prison, Anyaoku hosted him in London. Anyaoku visited South Africa many times. He used his diplomatic skills to help end apartheid.

In 1998, South Africa's President recognized Anyaoku's efforts. He was honored to speak to the South African Parliament. Nelson Mandela even wrote the foreword for Anyaoku's biography.

Anyaoku also helped solve problems between leaders and opposition groups in many Commonwealth countries. He started using Commonwealth observer groups for elections. These groups helped ensure fair elections. This made it easier for losing parties to accept the results. During his ten years, he sent 51 observer groups to different countries.

He helped countries like Zambia and Kenya move from one-party rule to multi-party democracies. For example, he persuaded Kenya's President to revise its constitution. He also helped resolve a political crisis in Bangladesh. He sent a special representative, Sir Ninian Steven, to help. Sir Ninian spent weeks helping the government and opposition parties find common ground.

Anyaoku also intervened in Pakistan to resolve a disagreement between the President and Prime Minister.

Challenges in Nigeria

One of his toughest challenges was the crisis in his home country, Nigeria. This happened after the June 12, 1993 election was cancelled. Anyaoku strongly criticized this decision. He called it a "severe setback to democracy."

Later, General Sani Abacha took control of Nigeria. He put the election winner, Moshood Abiola, in jail. Nigeria faced great unrest. Abacha's government also arrested and tried Ken Saro-Wiwa and other activists. They were accused of involvement in the deaths of four chiefs. Anyaoku appealed for their release, but his pleas were not heard. Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues died just before a Commonwealth meeting in New Zealand in 1995. Because of this, Commonwealth leaders decided to suspend Nigeria from the association.

Anyaoku tried to talk with Abacha to solve the crisis. He even met with Abiola in jail. But Abacha refused Anyaoku's ideas for dialogue. After Abacha's sudden death in 1998, a new military leader, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, took over. He worked to bring democracy back to Nigeria. Anyaoku and his Commonwealth team fully supported this process. This included the elections that brought President Olusegun Obasanjo to power.

Anyaoku retired as Commonwealth Secretary-General on March 31, 2000.

Life After the Commonwealth

After his retirement, the University of London created a special professorship named after him. It is called the Emeka Anyaoku Professor of Commonwealth Studies. He also became a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics.

He received the Freedom of the City of London in 1998. He has also received many honors from Nigeria and other countries. These include top civilian honors from Cameroon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia, and Trinidad & Tobago. Queen Elizabeth II also honored him with the Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. In 2010 and 2014, Nigeria gave him special gold medals. These were for his outstanding contributions to the country.

Emeka Anyaoku has written books. He also has 33 honorary doctorate degrees from universities worldwide.

From 2000 to 2015, Chief Emeka Anyaoku served as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations in Nigeria. He worked with Kofi Annan to help Nigerian presidential candidates agree to a peaceful election process in 2015. This helped ensure a smooth transition to President Muhammadu Buhari's government.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku has held many important positions, including:

• 1975: Leader, Commonwealth Mission to Mozambique
• 1979-1990: Member of the Council of Overseas Development Institute in London
• 1984-1990: Member of Governing Council of the Save the Children Fund
• 1992-present: Honorary Member of the Club of Rome
• 2000-2006: President, Royal Commonwealth Society
• 2000-present: President, Royal African Society
• 2002-2009: President, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
• 2005-2013: Trustee of the British Museum
• 2013-present: President, Metropolitan Club, Lagos

Personal Beliefs

Emeka Anyaoku is an Anglican. His father converted to this faith. He feels "very comfortable being an Anglican." He is also a vice-president of the Royal Commonwealth Society.