Professor George Obiozor (1942–2022)

Professor George Obiozor, one of Nigeria’s finest and most renowned academics, diplomats, statesmen, patriots, and foremost Igbo leader, died on  December 26, 2022. 

At the time of his death, Obiozor was the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation. 

A citizen of the world in the true sense of it, he served at the highest levels of Nigeria’s foreign policy establishment, rising to the top as Director-General of the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA) and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Washington, DC. 

His death was felt across the country. President Muhammadu Buhari said he was “deeply saddened” by his passing, and extended his heartfelt condolences to Obiozor’s family, the government and people of Imo State, as well as Ndigbo, at home and in the Diaspora. 

The president believes that “the contributions of the unique leader and strong proponent of peace and a stable polity,” will never be forgotten. 

Former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, described his death as a huge loss to the nation, stressing that “Professor Obiozor left enduring legacies and would be missed not only by his family and friends but by the diplomatic, academic and cultural communities across the world.” 

Born on August 15, 1942, in Awo-Omamma, Oru East LGA of Imo State, Obiozor had his education at Awo-Omamma Comprehensive Secondary School from 1959 to 1963. 

For his higher education, he attended the Institute of African Studies, Geneva, Switzerland, in 1967 for a diploma programme. He went on to the University of South Tacoma, Washington, USA, where he obtained a B.A. (Hons) in Political Science in 1968. 

He obtained a master’s degree from Columbia University, New York, in International Law and Organisation; an M. Phil in International Affairs in 1974, and finally, a doctorate in International Affairs in 1976. 

Prof. Obiozor was a lecturer at the Pratt Institute, New York City, from 1971 to 1975. He went on to become an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the City University of New York (CUNY) Medgar Evers College, between 1975 and 1979 and a Ralph Bunche Research Fellow in the United Nations City University of New York Graduate Center from 1977 to 1978. 

He was the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the State of Israel and High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus between 1993 and 2003. 

Obiozor was also the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States from 2004 to 2008. 

He participated in dozens of conferences, delegations, and missions for Nigeria and the United Nations, and authored tons of seminal works, including highly regarded journal articles and numerous books on foreign policy and international relations. 

Some of them include Uneasy Friendships: Nigeria-United States Relations, The Politics of Precarious Balancing: An Analysis of Contending Issues in Nigerian Domestic and Foreign Policy and Nigeria and the World: Managing the Politics of Diplomatic Ambivalence in a Changing World. 

Obiozor holds the traditional title of Ugwumba 1 of Orlu conferred on him in 1991. 

He was a grantee of the Albert Schweitzer fellowship and Alice Stetten fellowship, Columbia University School of International Affairs. 

He was also the Special Adviser, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Special Assistant to the President on International Affairs in 1990. 

On Sunday, January 9, 2021, Obiozor was elected as the President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a socio-cultural group that was formed to cater for the welfare of the Igbo nation. 

As the leader of Ohanaeze, Obiozor faced personal losses and attacks. On 19 March 2022, his country home was set ablaze. The gunmen used an improvised explosive device (IED) to destroy the building, causing him to lose his personal library, property and mementos. He was deeply pained by the attack. 

Obiozor was a towering intellectual. In his death, Nigeria lost a foreign policy expert. He was not just a Professor of International Relations, he had also practised what he taught. He had a deep knowledge of international affairs and practised it. 

His loss is not just to his family but to Nigeria, as he knew his onions. As a well-known intellectual giant and leader, he will be missed. May God accept his exemplary service to Nigeria and the world.