Ezenwa
Nwakonobi, a veterinarian by training and profession, was born on November 25,
1962 to the family of late Chief Okwuokei and Mrs Obuna Nwakonobi of Obecha
quarter of Utchi in present day Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta
State, Nigeria. Ezenwa started his primary education at the age of 8 years at
Obalu Primary School, Utchi and obtained the First School Leaving Certificate
in June, 1975. Between 1975 and 1980, Ezenwa attended the prestigious and
famous Catholic School - Mater Dei College, Ashaka from where he passed out
with Grade 1 in the West African School Certificate Examination (WASC); also
winning the prize of best graduating science student in his set of 1980. In
1981, he gained admission into and studied at one of the best universities in
Nigeria – University of Nigeria, Nsukka between 1981 and 1987, where he studied
Veterinary Medicine & Surgery for six years graduating as a Veterinary
Surgeon in 1987; as well as the prestigious Royal Veterinary College,
University of London (2009/10) on Veterinary Epidemiology.
His
work experience started with the one-year compulsory National Youth Service
(1987/88 set) firstly at Rojenny Tourist Village, Oba for four months (during
which he set up and managed the Zoological Garden) and later at Anambra
Integrated Livestock Project (Nkwelle Farms) in Nkwelle Ezunaka as the first
Farm Veterinarian for 8 months.
After
the national service, Ezenwa proceeded to Lagos and worked as a Veterinary
Clinician at Alvin Veterinary Services & Consultancy, Ikeja for about a
year before joining the Federal Civil Service as a Veterinary Officer in
December, 1989 where he has risen, through thick and thin, to the position of
Deputy Director and Head of Animal Health and Clinical Services of the
Federation. He has been fully involved in the development and implementation of
various government programmes and strategies for the control of animal diseases
and pests and has played key roles in the eventual eradication of the dreaded
Rinderpest disease from Nigeria and Avian Influenza (bird flu) outbreaks of
2006 – 2008. Currently, Ezenwa is a major player in government’s programmes for
the control and eradication of various Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) in
Nigeria such as CBPP, PPR, NCD, ASF, AI and FMD, and currently holds the office
of National Coordinator of the Global Control and Eradication of PPR project
(GCEP) although his major interest is in the Control of African Swine Fever
(ASF).
He
has attended various courses in Nigeria, Germany, USA, United Kingdom, etc; and
has been a member of Federal Government’s delegation to various international
fora onvarious issues pertaining to animal, environmental and human health.
Married
with children, his hobbies include volley ball, travelling, meeting and making
friends and listening and dancing to traditional and Christian music.
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