UNIZIK’s Prof. Nnyigide Receives Prestigious Professorial Chair Award from Ohanaeze.
In a remarkable recognition of academic excellence and cultural advocacy, Prof. Nkoli Mercy Nnyigide of Nnamdi Azikiwe University has been honoured with a Professorial Endowment Chair Award by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
The award was conferred on Thursday, 19th March 2026, during a historic gathering of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body. The initiative is part of a strategic effort aimed at reviving and preserving the Igbo language, literature, and cultural heritage.
Prof. Nnyigide was appointed alongside three other distinguished scholars: Prof. Ngozi Emeka-Nwobia of Ebonyi State University, Prof. Boniface Mbah of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and Prof. Ngozi Chukwukere of Imo State University.
Presenting the awards, the President-General of Ohanaeze, John Azuta-Mbata, emphasized that the intervention was informed by growing concerns—even from global institutions—that the Igbo language is facing the threat of extinction. He explained that the professorial chairs are designed to stimulate cutting-edge research, deepen documentation, and rekindle scholarly and cultural interest in Igbo studies.
He further revealed that the initiative extends beyond academia, incorporating scholarships, bursaries, digital learning platforms, and youth-focused programmes in coding and Artificial Intelligence—signaling a holistic approach to cultural and intellectual rejuvenation.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Professorial Chair Endowment, Damian Opata, described the project as groundbreaking and a defining milestone in the history of Ohanaeze. Corroborating this, the Board Secretary, Fred Eze, disclosed that the selection process was thorough and merit-based, involving rigorous evaluation of research proposals and academic credentials.
By this prestigious appointment, Prof. Nnyigide—an accomplished scholar of Igbo-language literature and Stylistics, and former Head of the Department of Igbo, African, and Communication Studies—proudly represents both Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Anambra State on this noble cultural mission.