89-Year-Old Nigerian Professor Earns Second PhD at University of Ibadan

A Nigerian academic, Professor Mark Nwagwu, has inspired many after successfully defending his second PhD at the remarkable age of 89.

The achievement was shared by Facebook user Idowu Olayinka, who described Prof. Nwagwu as a distinguished zoologist, poet, and former professor at the University of Ibadan.

According to the post, Prof. Nwagwu has had an outstanding academic journey spanning several decades.

His Academic Qualifications

• B.Sc. in Zoology (1961) – University of London (studied at University College, Ibadan from 1957).
• M.Sc. in Zoology (1965) – University of London.
• Ph.D. in Zoology (1965) – Stockholm University, Sweden.
• Post-Doctoral Research (1966–1969) – University of Connecticut, United States, where he conducted research on myosin messenger RNA and muscle-protein synthesis.

At the age of 89, Prof. Nwagwu has now completed a second PhD, this time in Anthropology at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan.

Throughout his distinguished career, he rose through the ranks from Senior Lecturer to Reader and eventually became a Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Ibadan before retiring in 2002.

He also served as an Assistant/Associate Professor at Brock University in Canada.

In recognition of his contributions to academia and literature, Prof. Nwagwu is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science and a Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors.