WRITTEN BY DR. JAMES OBI-OKPALA
Chief Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON was born on October 21, 1932. He was the first elected Vice-President of Nigeria,

when Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari was the President of the country from 1979 to 1983.
Alex started primary school at the Saint John’s Anglican Central School, Ekwulobia. Later he proceeded to King’s College, Lagos. As an awardee of the Fulbright Scholarship in the United States of America (being one of the first Nigerians to gain the award), Ekwueme attended the University of Washington where he earned bachelor’s degree in Architecture and City Planning. He obtained his master’s degree in Urban Planning. Ifeayichukwu Ekwueme also earned degrees in sociology, history, philosophy and law from the University of London. He later proceeded to obtain a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Strathclyde, before gaining the Bachelor of Law degree from the Nigerian Law School.
Dr Alex Ekwueme was a distinguished architect. He started his professional career as an Assistant Architect with a Seattle-based firm, Leo A. Daly and Associates, and also with the London based firm, Nickson and Partners. On his return to Nigeria, he joined ESSO West Africa, Lagos, overseeing the Construction and Maintenance department.
He then went on to create a successful private business with his firm – Ekwueme Associates, Architects and Town Planners, the first indigenous architectural firm in Nigeria. His practice flourished with sixteen offices spread all over Nigeria and was wound up in preparation for Dr. Ekwueme assuming office as the first executive Vice President of Nigeria. Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme had presided over the Nigerian Institute of Architects and the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria.
He was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. Before Ide Aguata gained national and international limelight as the Vice President of Nigeria in 1979, he was actively involved in the socio-economic development of his community, Oko. In addition to his many public service roles within his community, Dr. Ekwueme started an active Educational Trust Fund that has been responsible for sponsoring the education of several hundred youths to universities in Nigeria and abroad.
Dr. Ekwueme was a member of the housing sub-committee of the Adebo Salaries and Wages Review Commission. He also served for many years on the board of the Anambra State Housing Development Authority. On the national front Dr. Ekwueme participated in the Nigeria National Constitutional Conference (NCC) in Abuja, where he served on the Committee on the Structure and Framework of the Constitution.
His famous proposals at the NCC for a just and equitable power sharing in Nigeria based on the six geopolitical zones have now come to be accepted as necessary for maintaining a stable Nigerian polity. Dr Ekwueme mobilized the group of 34 eminent Nigerians who risked their lives to stand up against the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha during the era of military rule in Nigeria. He was the founding Chairman of the then ruling party in Nigeria, PDP and was the first Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Ekwueme was a prolific philanthropist, public servant, and a man of peace.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of Canada-based Forum of Federations. He was also a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Elders. Dr. Ekwueme was leader of the team assembled by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) for pre-election monitoring for the parliamentary election in Zimbabwe in 2000. He was the leader of the Organization of Africa Unity (OAU) observer team to the Tanzanian Presidential and Parliamentary election in 2000. Dr. Ekwueme co-led the 28 member NDI/Carter Centre sponsored Observer Team to the Liberian Presidential run-off election in 2005. Most recently, Dr Ekwueme was called upon by the PDP to head the Reconciliation Committee in the wake of its intra-party discord. He was honoured with the Order of the Republic of Guinea and Nigeria, second highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). Dr. Ekwueme was the benefactor and Patron of the “Alex Ekwueme Foundation”. He died at 10.00pm on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at a London clinic. He had to be flown there after his relapse to a coma which he fell into as a result of his fall in his Enugu residence.

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