Ogbonnaya Onu Biography, Wife, Children, Net Worth, Cause Of Death

Ogbonnaya Onu CON (1 December 1951 — 11 April 2024) was a Nigerian politician, author and engineer until his death in April 2024. He was the first civilian governor of Abia State and was the minister of science, technology and innovation of Nigeria from November 2015 until his resignation in 2022. He was the longest serving minister of the ministry.

Ogbonnaya Onu CON FNSE, FNSChE, FAEng
Ogbonnaya Onu in 2018
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation
In office 14 June 2019 – 11 May 2022
Appointed by	Muhammadu Buhari
Succeeded by	Adeleke Mamora
In office 11 November 2015 – 29 May 2019
Appointed by	Muhammadu Buhari
Governor of Abia State
In office January 1992 – November 1993
Deputy	Chima Nwafor
Preceded by	Frank Ajobena (military)
Succeeded by	Chinyere Ike Nwosu (military)
Personal details
Born	Ogbonnaya Onu 1 December 1951 Ohaozara, Southern Region, British Nigeria (now in Ebonyi State, Nigeria)
Died	11 April 2024 (aged 72)
Political party	All Progressives Congress
Education	Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Engineering
Alma mater	University of Lagos University of California, Berkeley Name(required) Email(required) Website Message Submit
Profession	Politician, engineer

Ogbonnaya Onu was born on December 1, 1951, to the family of Eze David Aba Onu in Amata, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of then Eastern region, later Imo State, then Abia State and now Ebonyi State Nigeria. He started his education at Izzi High School in Abakaliki, now the Ebonyi State capital. Here, he obtained grade one with distinction in his West African School Certificate Examination. He also sat for the High School Examination at College of Immaculate Conception (C.I.C) Enugu, graduating as the overall best student. He proceeded to the University of Lagos and graduated with a first class degree in chemical engineering in 1976. He went for his doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in chemical engineering in 1980

After his graduation from the University of Lagos, Ogbonnaya Onu became a teacher at St. Augustine’s Seminary, Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State. After the completion of his doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Onu became a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, and later became the pioneer head of the department. He also served as the acting dean of the Faculty of Engineering and was also elected as a member of the Governing Council of the university.

Ogbonnaya Onu started his political career as an aspirant for a senatorial seat in the old Imo State on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He contested for the position of Governor of Abia State in 1991 under the umbrella of the National Republican Convention and won. He was sworn in as the first executive governor of the state in January 1992. He was the first chairman, Conference of Nigerian elected governors. In 1999, he was the presidential flag bearer for the All People’s Party but relinquished the position to Olu Falae after a merger of his party with the Alliance for Democracy who lost to Olusegun Obasanjo of the PDP. He became the national party chairman of the All Nigerian People’s Party in 2010. In 2013, he and his party (ANPP) successfully merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Democratic People’s Party (DPP) and some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). In November 2015, he was appointed Minister of Science and Technology by President Muhammadu Buhari. on August 21, 2019, he was sworn in again as Minister of Science and Technology by President Muhammadu Buhari

Onu is a certified member of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers.

In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari

Onu said Nigeria will begin local production of pencils by 2018 which he said will provide 400,000 jobs. As of 2019, the said production of pencils has not commenced. In 1999, prior to the presidential election and the alliance between the All People’s Party and Alliance for Democracy, Onu was involved in a conflict involving both APP/AD picking Olu Falae as the joint presidential flag bearer.