Professor Grace Alele-Williams, Nigeria’s first female Vice Chancellor, died at the age of 89.
Alele-Williams died on Friday at an unidentified hospital in Lagos, according to Anaedoonline.ng.
Alele-Williams, the first woman to acquire a doctorate in Nigeria, was appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin in 1985.
She was a Professor of Mathematics, according to this online publication.
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Prof. Hope Eghagha, a former Commissioner for Higher Education in Delta State and ex-Head of Department of English at the University of Lagos, confirmed Alele-Williams’ death to Newsmen on Friday.
Asked about the circumstances surrounding her death, Eghagha said, “Anything can happen at 89.”
A source told Newsmen that the management of the University of Benin has ordered that all flags should be flown at half-mast and a condolence register would be opened at the Office of the Vice-chancellor in her honour.
See Her Biography
Grace Alele-Williams (December 16, 1932 – March 25, 2022) was a professor of mathematics education, who made history as the first Nigerian female vice-chancellor at the University of Benin and first Nigerian woman to receive a doctorate.
Alele-Williams was born in Warri, Delta state. She attended Government School, Warri, Queen’s College, Lagos and the University College of Ibadan (now University of Ibadan).
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Alele-Williams was appointed the first female vice-chancellor of a Nigerian university in 1985-1992.
She was a member of governing council, UNESCO Institute of Education. She was also a consultant to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Institute of International Education Planning.
Alele-Williams was the first president of the African Mathematical Union Commission on Women in Mathematics.
Alele-Williams married Babatunde Abraham Williams in December 1963. Advertisement
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