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Chief Emeka Anyaoku - Fmr Commonwealth Secretary-General

Chief Eleazar Chukwuemeka [Emeka] Anyaoku was elected third Secretary-General of the Commonwealth by Heads of Government at their meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 1989 and took office in July 1990; he was re-elected for a second term in 1995 and relinquished the office in 2000.

He is a Nigerian national, born at Obosi in 1933 and educated at University College, Ibadan, where he studied Classics, graduating with a London University Honours degree in 1959.

Before becoming Commonwealth Secretary General, Emeka Anyaoku worked with the Commonwealth Development Corporation and in the Nigerian Diplomatic Service from 1962 to 1966 including three years as a member of Nigeria's Permanent delegation to the United Nations in New York; and from 1966 to 1989 in the Commonwealth Secretariat, London. In 1983, he also served briefly as Nigeria’s Foreign Minister before the military coup d'etat later that year in Nigeria.

With over 30 years' service to the Commonwealth, he played a key role in promoting democracy and human rights and was directly involved in the processes leading to peace and democracy in Zimbabwe, Namibia and in particular, South Africa.

Emeka Anyaoku is a traditional Ndichie Chief in Obosi (Ichie Adazie Obosi and Ugwumba Idemili). He is currently also Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on International Affairs in Nigeria; a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Global Governance, London School of Economics(2000-2002); President of the Royal Commonwealth Society and the Royal Africa Society and International President of the World Wide Fund for Nature.

He has received decorations from Nigeria (CON and CFR), and the highest national civilian honours of Cameroon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia and Trinidad & Tobago’s Trinity Cross (TC) as well as Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) from Her Majesty The Queen in 2000. A published author and holder of 28 Honorary Doctorate degrees, a Professorial Chair has also been established in Chief Anyaoku’s name at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm