Born on June 27, 1954 at Umuariam, Obowo LGA in Imo State, Nigeria, Prof. Bertram Ekejiuba Bright Nwoke was a pioneer student of Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu where he obtained OND (Science Laboratory Technology) in 1975. He was also a pioneer student of University of Jos where he obtained B.Sc. (Zoology) Second Class Upper Division in 1979. As the first best graduating student of Zoology, University of Jos gave him scholarship in 1980 to pursue MSc degree (Applied Entomology & Parasitology), a programme supported by WHO Geneva and he graduated in 1981. With an excellent MSc degree, Prof Nwoke went back to University of Jos for a PhD (Medical Parasitology & Entomology) and graduated in 1987. He has Certificate in Total Quality Management – a course designed and sponsored by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Atlantic Georgia USA in 1997. He is computer literate.
Prof. B. E. B. Nwoke started his academic career in 1981 at the Etiti Campus of Imo State University Nigeria as an Assistant Lecturer. Nine years later, in 1990, he was promoted to the position of Associate Professor; and in 1994, he was promoted to the position of Professor of Public Health Parasitology and Entomology. His teaching and research areas include Public Health Parasitology, Ecology and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases, Pest and Disease Management, Public Health Entomology, Impact Assessment of Parasitic Disease’s Control,
and Environmental Impact Assessment.
Prof. B. E. B. Nwoke is Scientist of International repute. A former Acting Vice Chancellor of Imo State University Owerri, Nigeria and Consultant to many international organizations like WHO, UNICEF, Global 2000 Carter Centre, Atlanta, States and Federal Governments. He is a Postdoctoral Fellow of WHO; Bill Gates Lymphatic Support Centre at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Distinguished Scientist of the Middle States African Association, West Virginia State University USA, Distinguished Scientist of the Federal Ministry of Health in recognition of his pioneering efforts in River Blindness Control in Nigeria.
He has severally served in several administrative positions. These include the pioneer Head of the Department, 2 times Coordinator of School of Biological Sciences, 4 times Dean, Faculty of Science, 2 times Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 5 times member of Imo State University Governing Council. Other positions include 2times Board member of Imo State University Teaching Hospital, pioneer Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Acting Vice-Chancellor of Imo State University.
Prof Nwoke has strongly contributed to academic leadership and growth as well as stimulated superior and excellent research and learning in the University. He is a postgraduate external examiner to 8 Nigerian Universities and has internally assessed more than 50 professional colleagues for the position of Professor. He has successfully supervised more than 160 undergraduate projects, 61 MSc, 11 MPH and 47 PhD Theses.
Relevant and distinguished in his field of study, Prof Nwoke belongs to 8 national and international learned/academic societies including the Parasitology and Public Health Society of Nigeria, Zoological Society of Nigeria, Entomological Society of Nigeria and the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London. He has attended and participated in about 75 major national and international conferences, workshops or symposia, presenting over 80 academic and professional papers. With an impeccable probity and integrity, Prof. Nwoke has attracted and successfully completed (with colleagues) at least 17 institutional, national and/or international operational Research and Development (R&D) grants.
Currently, he has to his credit 180 academic and professional publications/works made up ofbook chapters, book, edited books, technical reports and articles in peer reviewed journals in Nigeria, Germany , United Kingdom, Japan, USA, Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, Poland, Czech, India, Scotland, Switzerland, Cameroon, etc.
He is an internationally highly sought after speaker in Ethics, Vision Management, public sector entrepreneurship, Leadership and youth development.
Prof. B. E. B. Nwoke is widely travelled. During his TDR/WHO Geneva Post-doctoral Fellow on Advance Epidemiological Field Research Training at World Health Organization (WHO) River Blindness Control in West Africa, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.Jan 1990-Jan 1991, he carries out field studies in Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Togo, and Benin Republic. As WHO Consultant for Africa on Rapid Epidemiological Mapping of Onchocerciasis (REMO), Prof. Nwoke carried out research and worked with national teams of Uganda, Chad, Liberia, Central Africa Republic, Cameroon, Rwanda, Burundi, Gabon, Malawi, Ghana, Kenya, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Angola, Tanzania and Mozambique.
Prof. B. E. B. Nwoke is a fully packaged, lively and God-fearing person. He is a man with impeccable probity and integrity; a man with very impressive biomedical ingenuity, a man who cherishes humility, transparency, honesty and due proces