Emeka Anyaoku facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Chief Emeka Anyaoku GCON, GCVO, CFR
3rd Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations
In office 1 July 1990 – 31 March 2000
Head	Elizabeth II
Chairperson	Thabo Mbeki (South Africa)
Preceded by	Sir Shridath Ramphal
Succeeded by	Don McKinnon
Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs
In office 1983 – 1 July 1990
Head	Elizabeth II
Secretary-General	Sir Shridath Ramphal
Preceded by	M. A. Husain
Succeeded by	Vacancy
In office 1977–1983
Preceded by	Vacancy
Succeeded by	Anthony Siaguru
Personal details
Born	(1933-01-18) 18 January 1933 (age 92) Obosi, Nigeria
Spouse	Princess Bunmi Anyaoku ​ (m. 1962)​
Children	4

Chief Emeka Anyaoku (born 18 January 1933) is a famous Nigerian diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in talks with other countries. He was the third Commonwealth Secretary-General. This means he was the main leader of the Commonwealth, a group of countries that used to be part of the British Empire.

Born in Obosi, Nigeria, Emeka Anyaoku went to Merchants of Light School and the University College of Ibadan. He studied Classics, which is the study of ancient Greek and Roman languages and cultures. Besides his international work, Chief Anyaoku also holds a traditional title as Ichie Adazie of Obosi.

Early Life and Family

A Young Start in Obosi

Eleazar Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Anyaoku was born on 18 January 1933. His parents were Emmanuel and Cecilia Anyaoku. They lived in Obosi, a large village in eastern Nigeria.

His father, Emmanuel, had some schooling and worked for the railways and in a hospital. He later became a catechist, a Christian teacher. After that, he returned to his village to farm. He became the head of his family quarter in Obosi.

His Mother's Story

Cecilia, Emeka's mother, was Emmanuel's second wife. She grew up with a guardian, Reverend Ekpunobi, who was a respected Anglican priest. Reverend Ekpunobi helped Emmanuel and Cecilia meet and marry. Emeka was their second child, and he grew up with five brothers and sisters.

Education Journey

Starting School Young

At seven years old, Emeka Anyaoku went to live with his uncle in Umuahia to start school. Schools in rural areas back then often only went up to a certain grade. When he was 10, in 1943, he moved again to stay with a cousin who was a headmaster. This helped him continue his education.

Secondary School Days

For high school, young Anyaoku attended Merchants of Light School (MOLS) in Oba. It was a boarding school. The school's founder, Dr. Enoch Oli, taught Emeka and other students the importance of hard work and being good to others.

Even as a teenager, Emeka was known for being smart and brilliant. His friends remembered him as a leader. They even called him "lawyer" because he was so good at arguing logically. He was also very friendly and got along with everyone.

Emeka was a very hardworking student at MOLS. He spent most of his time reading or studying. He was among the top students and earned the school's highest pass in his final exams.

University and Beyond

After high school, Anyaoku taught mathematics, Latin, and English at Emmanuel College in Owerri from 1952 to 1954. He was a dedicated teacher.

He then decided to study Classics at the University College of Ibadan. This was a top university in Nigeria at the time. While he was there in the mid-1950s, Nigeria was discussing its future. Students and leaders debated how the country should become independent from Britain.

Anyaoku was a student leader during these exciting times. He and other students campaigned for a united Nigeria. They even sent messages to important political leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo.

In 1959, he earned a degree in Classics. He then joined the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) in Lagos. He also trained in London. When Nigeria gained independence on 1 October 1960, Anyaoku returned to work for the CDC in Lagos.

Marriage and Family Life

Meeting Princess Bunmi

In December 1961, Emeka Anyaoku met Princess Ebunola Olubunmi Solanke. She was a 20-year-old Yoruba lady. Bunmi had studied in England. They met at a party in Lagos.

Emeka and Bunmi got married at the Anglican Cathedral Church in Lagos on 10 November 1962. Their wedding was a big event, described as a union between "one of Nigeria's most eligible bachelors and a beautiful young Princess."

Their Children and Grandchildren

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

In 1990, Emeka Anyaoku was given a special honor by 19 communities in his home state, Anambra. His wife, Bunmi, also holds traditional titles and has done a lot of welfare work in Nigeria and the Commonwealth.

On his 91st birthday in January 2024, Anyaoku opened the Emeka and Bunmi Anyaoku Centre in Obosi. This center has a library and a museum. It helps with education, democracy, and human rights. The museum shows cultural items from Nigeria and other African countries. The library holds his personal papers from his time as Commonwealth Secretary-General.

A Career in Diplomacy

Joining the Foreign Service

In 1962, Emeka Anyaoku met Nigeria's Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The Prime Minister was impressed by Anyaoku and encouraged him to join Nigeria's Foreign Service. After a tough interview, Anyaoku joined in April 1962.

He quickly became a personal assistant in the Ministry for External Affairs. He helped set up the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in May 1963. Later that year, he was sent to represent Nigeria at the United Nations in New York.

Working for the Commonwealth

In 1966, Anyaoku joined the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. This is the main office for the Commonwealth group of nations. He started as an Assistant Director of International Affairs.

In 1977, the leaders of the Commonwealth countries chose him as Deputy Secretary-General. This was a very important role.

In 1983, he briefly returned to Nigeria to serve as the country's Foreign Minister. But when the government changed, he went back to his role as Deputy Secretary-General with the support of all Commonwealth governments.

Becoming Secretary-General

On 24 October 1989, at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Emeka Anyaoku was elected the third Commonwealth Secretary-General. He was chosen again in 1993 for a second five-year term.

Key Achievements as Secretary-General

Fighting Apartheid in South Africa

One of Anyaoku's biggest goals was to help end Apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation and discrimination. He spoke out strongly against it.

In 1990, after Nelson Mandela was released from prison, Anyaoku hosted him for his first official dinner as Secretary-General. Anyaoku visited South Africa many times between 1991 and 1993. He used his diplomatic skills to help with the talks that ended apartheid.

In 1998, South Africa's President honored Anyaoku for his work. Nelson Mandela even wrote the introduction for Anyaoku's biography.

Promoting Democracy and Fair Elections

Anyaoku worked hard to promote democracy and good governance in Commonwealth countries. He often helped solve disagreements between leaders and opposition groups.

He also started using Commonwealth observer groups to watch elections in different countries. These groups made sure elections were fair. Their presence helped losing parties accept the results if the election was judged free and fair. During his ten years, he sent 51 such groups to various countries.

He helped many countries, like Zambia and Kenya, change from one-party rule or military governments to multi-party democracies. He also helped solve political problems in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Nigeria's Political Crisis

One of his most difficult challenges was the political crisis in his home country, Nigeria. In 1993, a military government canceled a presidential election that Chief Moshood Abiola seemed to have won. Anyaoku spoke out against this, calling it a "severe setback for democracy."

When General Sani Abacha took over, things got worse. Abacha arrested Abiola and other activists. Anyaoku tried to talk with Abacha to find a peaceful solution. He even met with Abiola in prison.

The crisis reached a peak when Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists were sentenced to death. Anyaoku asked Abacha to show mercy, but his plea was ignored. Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues were executed in November 1995. Because of this, Commonwealth leaders suspended Nigeria from the association.

After Abacha's sudden death in 1998, a new military leader, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, took over. He worked to bring back democracy. Anyaoku and his Commonwealth team fully supported this process, including the elections that brought President Olusegun Obasanjo to power.

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

Life After the Commonwealth

Honors and Continued Service

After his retirement, the University of London created a special professorship named after him. He also became a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. He received many honors, including the Freedom of the City of London and awards from several countries. He has also received 33 honorary doctorate degrees from universities around the world.

From 2000 to 2015, Anyaoku served as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations in Nigeria. In 2015, he helped get all presidential candidates in Nigeria to agree to a peaceful election process. This helped ensure a smooth transition to President Muhammadu Buhari's government.

Other Important Roles

Chief Emeka Anyaoku has held many other important positions:

• 1975: Led a Commonwealth Mission to Mozambique.
• 1979–90: Member of the Council of the Overseas Development Institute.
• 1984–90: Member of the Governing Council of the Save The Children Fund.
• 2000–06: President of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
• 2000–present: President of the Royal African Society.
• 2002–09: President of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
• 2005–13: Trustee of the British Museum.
• 2013–present: President of the Metropolitan Club, Lagos.

Personal Life

Emeka Anyaoku was installed as the Ichie Adazie of Obosi in 1980. He continues to perform the duties of this traditional chieftainship. He is an Anglican Christian, a faith his father also followed. He has said he is "very comfortable being an Anglican." He is also a vice-president of the Royal Commonwealth Society.