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Catherine Obianuju AcholonuNigerian writer, researcher and political activist
Date of Birth: 26.10.1951
Country:  Nigeria |
Content:
Early Life, Marriage, and Education
Catherine Acholonu was born into an affluent Igbo Catholic family in Umuokwara village, Orlu, on April 2, 1951. The eldest of four children, she attended St. Rose's School for her primary and secondary education. At the age of 17, she married Brendan Douglas Acholonu, a surgeon from the same clan who was then based in Germany.
In 1974, Catherine enrolled at the University of Düsseldorf to study English, American literature, and German linguistics. She completed her master's degree in 1977 and, in 1982, became the first African woman to earn a doctorate from Düsseldorf in Igbo Studies.
Career
AcademiaAcholonu taught English at Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, from 1978 onward and authored over 16 books. In 1982, she founded AFA: A Journal of Creative Writing, the first journal dedicated to African literature.
As a Fulbright Scholar in 1986, she documented the Igbo roots of Olaudah Equiano, the renowned abolitionist and slave autobiographer. She also served as a visiting professor at various private colleges and initiated an African Studies minor at Manhattanville College.
Politics
In 1992, Acholonu unsuccessfully ran for President of Nigeria as the National Republican Convention's candidate. From 1999 to 2002, she served as Senior Special Advisor (SSA) to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Arts and Culture. In 2002, she resigned to contest for a Senate seat in Imo State's Orlu senatorial district but lost to Arthur Nzeribe.
Death and Legacy
Catherine Acholonu passed away on March 18, 2014, at the age of 62, following a year-long battle with kidney failure.
In 1997, she was recognized as one of Nigeria's greatest women by the National Council of Women's Societies (NCWS). Her works are included as reading materials in Nigerian secondary schools and universities, as well as in African studies departments in American and European universities.
