Biography :

Professor Uchechukwu Chris Okoro was born 60 years ago at Ndeabor, the present Headquarters of Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. He attended St. George’s Primary School Ndeabor where he parted with Distinction at First School Leaving Certificate examination in 1971 after the Nigeria Civil War. Thereafter he proceeded to St. Vincent Secondary School Agbogugu and later Emekuku High School, Owerri and as a brilliant student, he came out in First Division in the West African School Certificate examination in 1976. He later gained admission into the prestigious University of Lagos where he obtained his BSc finishing in First Class Honours in Chemistry and as the overall best graduating student in the Faculty of Science in 1982.

He obtained his Ph.D in Pure and Industrial Chemistry from the University of Nigeria Nsukka in 1989 in the laboratory of Professor Charles O. Okafor where he developed dyes and pigments from phenothiazine and phenoxazine ring systems. Thereafter he became a full Faculty Member and rose to the rank of Professor in Synthetic Organic Chemistry. He later showed expertise in the area of Material Science in the special area of Nanoporous Materials. As a professor of Chemistry he has mentored over 70 students both in Masters and PhDs and has played significant role in the development of Postgraduate programme in the Faculty of Physical Sciences at the University of Nigeria. He has published widely in scientific journals both locally and internationally. He has been a visiting professor to many Universities in Nigeria and Overseas. He was a visiting Scientist to the School of Molecular Science at the Korea Advanced Institute of Technology, Daegeon, South Korea. As an academic pundit, Professor Uchechukwu Chris Okoro in his University days at the University of Lagos won the Federal Merit Award for three consecutive years and several awards as the best graduating student in the Faculty of Science. He is a member of several professional and community service organizations such as Fellow Chemical Society of Nigeria, Fellow Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria, Member New York Academy of Sciences, Member International Biochar Initiatives, Fellow Rocana Institute Technology, Vice President General, Ndeabor Development Union, Secretary Old Awgu LGA Welfare Association, Nsukka, Chairman, Old Awgu LGA Welfare Association, Nsukka, President Aninri LGA Welfare Association, Nsukka and President Greater Ndeabor Patriotic Forum. Professor Okoro has served as Head, Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria; Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Education, Enugu State and has received many awards from organizations too numerous to mention and Chieftaincy Title as KPAKPANDO 1 OF NDEABOR. One important award for outstanding performance worthy of mention is the one from Department for International Development (DFID)-a British Government Agency.? He is currently the Head, Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry and Associate Dean, Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is married with children.