Sam Uzochukwu is a Nigerian academic and expert on Igbo oral poetry.[1]

Life

Uzochukwu was born in 1940 at Ebenato, Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. After his B.A. Degree in English Language from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife (1966), he branched off to Igbo Studies. Uzochukwu received his PhD from the University of Lagos in 1981 for a thesis on Igbo oral literature.[2] He stayed at the University of Lagos, rising to become a Professor and Head of the Department of African and Asian Studies.

He has worked to collect and document Igbo oral poetry, particularly funeral dirges, and published both creative and critical work in Igbo.[1] A Festschrift for him was published in 2008.[3]

Uzochukwu was the first Professor in the entire Mbanese —which is a general name for a conglomerate of five (out of ten) communities that make up Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State. These communities are Ebenato, Ezinifite, Akwaihedi, Osumenyi and Utuh.[4] In 2019, Prof. Sam launched a Tertiary Education Foundation, and also unveiled his autobiography entitled A Single Palmnut [5]

Works

References

  1. ^ a b Ernest Emenyonu, "Ugochukwu [sic], Sam", in Simon Gikandi, ed., Encyclopedia of African Literature, Routledge; 2002. ISBN 978-0-415-23019-3. Online version
  2. ^ 'Traditional Elegiac Poetry of Igbo: A study of the major types'. PhD Thesis, University of Lagos, 1981. See Helen Chukwuma, Igbo oral literature: theory and tradition, 1994, p.9
  3. ^ Iwu Ikwubuzo, Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche and Chigozie Nnabuihe, eds., Udezuluigbo: a festschrift in honour of Sam Uzochukwu, 2008. ISBN 978-978-087-382-0.
  4. ^ Okafor, Izunna. "Ebenator First Professor Launches Edu. Foundation". www.echonigeria.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  5. ^ Izunna Okafor "Mabnese 1st Professor Launches Edu. Foundation, Unveils Autobio", The Nigerian Voice 17 October 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
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