Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has expressed profound sorrow over the death of Distinguished Professor Damian Ugwutikiri Opata, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Professorial Chair Endowment Programme.
The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator Azuta Mbata, expressed deep sadness over the loss, acknowledging the late professor’s dedication and invaluable contributions to the organisation.
In a statement dated Saturday, October 17, 2026, the organisation’s Global Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, said Opata’s commitment to the Endowment Programme had earned him recognition, particularly for his leadership of its selection process, which Mbata had previously described as transparent and merit-driven.
Opata was a distinguished scholar of English and Literary Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, whose academic career spanned decades of teaching, research and university administration.
He was widely recognised for his scholarship on African literature, Igbo worldview, traditional values and culture, leaving behind a rich body of academic publications that contributed to the preservation and understanding of Igbo heritage and African literary traditions.
According to his family, the late professor would be buried on Saturday, October 17, 2026, in his hometown of Lejja, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide extended its heartfelt condolences to his family, the academic community and the entire Igbo nation, praying for the peaceful repose of his soul.
