Emeka Anyaoku
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Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCVO, CON (born January 18, 1933) was the third Commonwealth Secretary-General. He is of Igbo descent and a Nigerian.
Born in Obosi, Nigeria, he attended the University College of Ibadan, then a college of the University of London and from which he obtained an honours degree in Classics.
In 1959, Emeka Anyaoku joined the Commonwealth Development Corporation. Following Nigeria's independence, he join Nigeria's diplomatic service and in 1963 was posted to its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
In 1966, he joined the Commonwealth Secretariat as Assistant Director of International Affairs. In 1977, Commonwealth governments elected him Deputy Secretary-General.
In 1983, Nigeria's civilian government appointed Chief Anyaoku to become Nigeria's Foreign Minister. After the overthrow of the Government by the military later that year, he returned to his position as Deputy Secretary-General with the support of the new government in Nigeria and the endorsement of all Commonwealth Governments.
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting at Kuala Lumpur in 1989, Chief Anyaoku was elected the third Commonwealth Secretary-General. He was re-elected at the 1993 Limassol CHOGM for a second five-year term, beginning in July 1995.
Aside from his international career, Chief Anyaoku continues to fulfil the duties of his office as Ichie Adazie of Obosi, a traditional Ndichie chieftainship. In 1990, the Heads of all 19 communities of the Idemili Clan in his home State of Anambra accorded Chief Anyaoku a unique honour by investing him with the title of Ugwumba Idemili. His wife, Bunmi, is also a chief - Ugoma Obosi and Idemili - in her own right, with a long involvement in welfare work in Nigeria and through Commonwealth organisations.
Anyaoku is currently President of the WWF.
| Preceded by Sir Shridath Ramphal |
Secretary-General for the Commonwealth 1990–1999 |
Succeeded by Don McKinnon |
| Preceded by Ishaya Audu |
Foreign Minister of Nigeria 1983 – 1983 |
Succeeded by Ibrahim Gambari |