Prof. Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye is a brilliant academic who is highly revered for her contribution to the socio-economic development of Nigeria through hydrocarbon discoveries, and incidentally, she is Nigeria’s First Female Professor of Physics.
Prof Ajakaiye was born in 1940 in the city of Jos, the capital of Plateau State.
She attended the University of Ibadan (U.I.) and graduated in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in physics. She got her master's degree from the University of Birmingham, England, and in 1970, she received her Ph.D. in geophysics from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).
Originally interested in Mathematics she pursued Geophysics because she had in her a burning desire to contribute positively to the growth and development of her country.
Prof. Ajakaiye became the First Female Professor of Physics in Africa in 1980. She has lectured at Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Jos, serving as the Dean of Natural Sciences at the latter. Her work with ‘Geovisualization’ has been used to locate both mineral deposits and groundwater in Nigeria.
She has also created a map of the topography of Nigeria, working with several of her female students. She has been recognized for both her scientific advancements and her aid to the nation of Nigeria. The Nigerian Mining and GeoSciences Society honored her for her work, making her the first woman to receive the award.
She was also the first black African to be named a fellow of the Geological Society of London.
She has written several books and presented at several lectures. She is a recipient of various awards and a member of various organisations. As a member of the AAPG’s Publications Sub-Committee between 2002 and 2005, she co-authored the book, "Course Manual & Atlas of Structural Styles" on Reflection Profiles from the Niger Delta, with A. W. Bally.
The book has become a reference material on seismic studies and research on the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria and similar deltas worldwide. She served as a member of the Advisory Council of AAPG from 2001 to 2004, and was elected for AAPG’s Africa Region President (2005 – 2007).
Prof. Ajakaiye was among the 50 Nigerian women who were honoured with a special award by the First Lady, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan, on September 29, 2010, at the 50th independence Award for Women of Distinction.
She also garnered the AAPG award for her Distinguished Service in 2011, making her the first and only African listed in that category of awards. She is currently leading NNPC’s quest to increase the nation’s crude oil reserves through the geophysical exploration of the inland sedimentary basins including the Chad Basin, Gongola/Yola Basin, Benue trough, Anambra Basin, Bida Basin, Sokoto Basin and the Dahomey Basin.
The Nigerian Mining and GeoSciences Society honored her for her work, making her the first woman to receive the award.
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