Interview with Professor Ekanem Ikpi, Braide (OFR)

Ma, what was it like growing up?

A bit about my time growing up.
I was born in Ibadan Oyo State and my early years were spent in Ilesha and Ibadan where my parents worked in the public service. After my primary school education in Ilesha and Ibadan, I attended St Annes School, Molete, Ibadan and later attended Queens School Enugu for Higher School. I then proceeded to University of Nigeria, Nsukka to study Zoology but the civil war disrupted my stay in Nsukka. After we were ‘liberated’, I ended up as one of the South Eastern State refugees in the then University of Ife. I studied Zoology and graduated in 1971. I enrolled in Cornell University, Ithaca for a Master’s Degree in parasitology. After three years teaching in the University of Nigeria Nsukka, I returned to Cornell in 1976 for a PhD in parasitology.

Why the choice of academia as a career? Is that what you wanted to do?

Yes, that is what I wanted to do. My parents were educated. My Father was a civil servant and my mother was a teacher in a Teachers Training College. I and my siblings had the opportunity to interact with teachers/lecturers. My interest in academia further intensified when I was undergoing my secondary school education in St Annes School, Ibadan and higher school, Enugu. The quality of education we received pointed me towards the academia. After the civil war I got married to a lecturer in University of Ibadan. That settled it!