Ginigeme Francis Mbanefoh

Ginigeme Francis Mbanefoh was a Nigerian academic. He served as the 11th Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He hails from Eziowelle, Idemili of Anambra State. He succeeded Umaru Gomwalk. He came in at a time when the university was said to have been in a deep-seated crisis. He was praised for his nearness to his people and his ability to give the institution's host community a sense of belonging, an act that earned him traditional titles from both his town and the Nsukka Zonal Council of Traditional Rulers. His PhD thesis was titled Allocation of Road Funds in Nigeria: An Evaluation, issued in 1976. He died on February 8, 2017. His funeral at his country home of Eziowelle on May 5, 2017, was well attended by dignitaries from all over the federation.

Early life and education

Mbanefoh was born on 21 March 1942 in Eziowelle, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. He attended St Charles' College, Onitsha from 1961 to 1962, followed by the University of Ibadan from 1964 to 1967 where he obtained his BSc degree. He subsequently studied at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA from 1971 to 1976, earning his MS and PhD degrees in economics. His doctoral thesis was titled Allocation of Road Funds in Nigeria: An Evaluation. He was married to Dr Nkechi Mbanefoh from 1971 and they had one son and three daughters.

Career

Mbanefoh served as an Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa from 1989 to 1990. He was appointed Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Ibadan in 1991 and served as a member of the Tariff Review Board from 1991 to 1995 and the Presidential Advisory Committee from 1994 to 1999.

He was a Rockefeller Foundation scholar and served first as Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka from 1997 to 1999, before being elected as the 11th substantive Vice Chancellor, a position he held from 1999 to 2004. His tenure was marked by significant institutional challenges including student unrest, staff grievances, and what was described as a deep-seated crisis inherited from the previous administration.

He held traditional titles including Ogbuefi Akubuilo and Ebubedike of Eziowelle, conferred in recognition of his contributions to his community and the Nsukka Zonal Council of Traditional Rulers.