Deborah Ajakaiye

Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye was born in 1940 in Plateau State in Northern Nigeria, and is a Nigerian geophysicist. She is the first female physics professor in Africa and her work in geophysics has played an important role in mining in Nigeria.

Early life and education Ajakaiye was born in 1940 in the city of Jos, the capital of Plateau State in the northern region of Nigeria. She was the fifth of six children. Her parents believed in equal education of the sexes and distributed household chores among both the male and female children. In 1962 she is an alumna of University of Ibadan with a degree in physics. She received a master's degree at the University of Birmingham in England, and in 1970 received her Ph.D. in geophysics from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. Originally interested in mathematics, Ajakaiye says she chose to pursue geophysics because she believed it could help her country. In 1971, she spoke at the third ICWES conference in Turin, giving a paper on women scientists and engineers in Nigeria, sharing a platform with Letitia Obeng and Grace Hopper.

Career Ajakaiye became the first female professor of physics in Africa in 1980. She has taught at Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Jos, serving as the dean of natural sciences at the latter. Her work with geovisualization has been used to locate both mineral deposits and groundwater in Nigeria. She has also created a gravity map of Nigeria, working with several of her female students. which she had founded in 1991.

Awards Ajakaiye has been recognized for both her scientific advancements and her aid to the nation of Nigeria. The Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society honored her for her work, making her the first woman to receive the award. She was also the first black African to be named a fellow of the Geological Society of London.

Books and Publications

Course Manual and Atlas of Structural Styles on Reflection Profiles from the Niger Delta A Bouguer Gravity Map of Nigeria Mass Movements in Hilly Areas (with Examples from Nigeria) Gamma-ray spectrometric analyses of some Nigerian rock samples Assessment of Education/Research in Basic Science and Science and Technology in Africa Joints on the Jos Plateau Application of geophysical methods to groundwater exploration in northern Nigeria Evidence of tectonic control of mineralization in Nigeria from lineament density analysis A Landsat-study The July 28, 1984 southwestern Nigeria earthquake and its implications for the understanding of the tectonic structure of Nigeria Gravity control network at airports in Nigeria