Who Is Dr Alvan Ikoku And Why Is His Face On N10 Note?


Have you ever wondered why the face of Alvan Ikoku is in
Nigerian currency even before those of Nnamdi Azikiwe,
Ahmadu Bello and Obafemi Awolowo?
Who was this great Nigerian and what were his achivements?
Born on August 1, 1900 in Arochukwu, present-day Abia State,
from 1911 to 1914, he was educated at the Arochukwu
Government Primary School and from 1915 to 1920, he
attended Hope Waddell College, Calabar where he was a
student under James Emmanuel Aggrey and was mates with
Akanu Ibiam and Eyo Eyo Esua. While teaching at Awka, Ikoku
earned his University of London degree in Philosophy in 1928,
through its external programme.
In 1932, Alvan Ikoku established a Co-Educational Secondary
School in West Africa: the Aggrey Memorial Secondary School,
located in Arochukwu and named after his mentor James E.K.
Aggrey, an eminent Ghanaian educationist.
In 1946, after several constitutional changes allowing more
Nigerians in the legislative chambers, he was nominated to
the Eastern Nigeria House of Assembly and assigned to the
ministry of education.
In 1947 he became part of the Legislative Council in Lagos as
one of three representatives of the Eastern Region. He is
celebrated as a revolutionary educationist in Nigeria.
In 1962, he called for an 'Education Bill of Rights' for primary
school education to be free for six years nationwide in Nigeria.
This was later accepted by the Federal Military Government as
from 1976. Today free education to all primary school has
been granted.
Dr Ikoku still remains a great icon in Nigerian academical
development and one of the most outstanding educationists
ever had in Nigeria.
The Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education in Owerri, Imo
State was named in his honour and of course, his face is
emblazoned on the ten naira note. It was at this school that
the first full-fledged Igbo Language Department in Nigeria was
established in 1975.
Also, Alvan Ikoku Crescent, University of Lagos Campus, Akoka
was named after him. Same with the Alvan Ikoku Hostel at the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka. A road called Alvan Ikoku Way,
in Maitama, Abuja (Capital of Nigeria) was also named after
him. Alvanville, opposite Aggrey Memorial College in
Arochukwu is named after him and was the site of the funeral
of his son, Chimere.
He died on November 18, 1971 at Aba general hospital.


#LetUsCelebrateNigerianLEGENDS