Who Is Dr Alvan Ikoku And Why Is His Face On N10 Note?
Have you ever wondered why the face of Dr Alvan Ikoku is in Nigerian currency even before those of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello and Obafemi Awolowo?
Who was this great Igbo son 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, Dr Alvan Ikoku earned his University of London degree in Philosophy in 1928, through its external programme.
In 1932, Dr 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...