Ozumba Mbadiwe: Here is what you should know about the political figure in Nigeria’s first Republic

Ozumba Mbadiwe was a Nigerian nationalist, statesman and government in the Nigerian first republic.

In this article, News Round The Clock (NRTC) will unravel the legacy of the nationalist who influenced the name Ozumba Mbadiwe Road in Victoria Island, Lagos state.

Here is everything that you need to know about him.

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In March 15, 1915, Ozumba was born into the family of Mbadiwe Odum from Arondizuogu, present-day Imo state. Until his demise, he was a politician, statesman, feminist advocate, nationalist and pan-Africanist.

He was known for his glamorous and flamboyant style and was an important political figure in Nigeria’s First Republic. Also, he attended Aggrey Memorial College in Arochukwu, Baptist College, and Igbobi College in Lagos in 1934 and 1935, respectively.

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He began trading after leaving Igbobi and in 1937 founded his own trading company, Mbadiwe Produce Association.

In 1940, Mbadiwe went on to study in the United States at Columbia University and New York University, where he assisted in the formation of the African Students Association in 1941 and the African Academy of Arts and Research in 1943, two platforms that drew the notice of then-first lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, who welcomed him to the White House.

Ozumba Mbadiwe Road in Victoria Island, Lagos, where the Lekki Toll gate is situated was named after him in immortalization. Additionally, the 2020 shootout happened in that particular environs.

In 2020, Nigerian recording artiste, Reekado Banks paid tribute to the late statesman with the single, “Ozumba Mbadiwe”.