Foremost Nigerian Professor of Political Science, distinguished international scholar and the globally acknowledged father of The Two Publics in Africa , Professor Peter Ekeh is dead.
Professor Ekeh’s ground-breaking academic work “Colonialism and the Two Publics in Africa: A Theoretical Statement” first published in 1975 is one of the most cited study in the field of African, political and sociological studies in various Universities across the world.
The eminent scholar and prolific academic who was born August 8, 1937, reportedly passed on Tuesday morning. Ekeh, regarded as an Iroko tree in the field of political science and sociology hailed from Okpara Inland of Agbon Kingdom in the Ethope East Local Government Area of Delta State. Until his death, he was also a chief of the Palace in Agbon, Delta state.
The late scholar, who was founder of Nigerian Scholars for Dialogue, and the Urhobo Historical Society (UHS) was a professor of African-American Studies for several years at the State University of New York, at Buffalo, up state New York.
Late Professor Ekeh was married with four children. Before proceeding to the University of Buffalo’s African- American Studies as Professor in 1989, Ekeh was aleady a distinguished scholar at various universities across the world.
He was chair of the department of African-American studies at Buffalo university from 1993 to 2001. In his long and very excellent academic career cutting across universities in various continents, Professor Ekeh taught at the following universities, among others: University of California, Riverside (1970-73); Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in Nigeria (1973-74); and at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria (1974-1989).
The late distinguished professor of political science and sociology was also the Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Ibadan (1978-1983) and Chairman of the Ibadan University Press (1983-1988).
Ekeh earned his undergraduate degree at the prestigious University of Ibadan (1961-64) and his graduate degrees in sociology from the elite ,Ivory league Stanford University (1965-66) and the University of California, Berkeley (1966-70) respectively.
Dr. Ekeh’s early research interest was in sociological theory, in which he published Social Exchange Theory: The Two Traditions (1974), and in psychoanalytic theory.
The prolific scholar later developed special interests in African politics and history, in which he later distinguished himself further with his landmark theory and historic research on the Two Publics. His ground-breaking research earned him world-wide applause.
In fact, Professor Ekeh’s work “Colonialism and the Two Publics in Africa: A Theoretical Statement” (1975) is one of the most cited publications in the field of African, political and sociological studies across the world.
The late erudite professor’s work cut across diverse disciplines and have been particularly influential in African studies. Late Ekeh also held several fellowships roles admirably in Europe, United States, and Japan. For example, he was a Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, Washington, D.C. (1988-89) where he also earned various research and scholarship awards.
He led and piloted several research projects across the world in the filed of political science and sociology. He was a Rockefeller Foundation Scholar for his graduate studies.
With funding and grants from Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and United States Institute of Peace, Washington, D.C., late Ekeh led and supervised several academic projects.
Later in his career, late Ekeh founded the Urhobo Historical Society whose influential web site URHOBO WAADO he edited for several years..
He was also founder of Nigerian Scholars for Dialogue. He was also most active in the campaign for the protection of the Niger delta environment.
