Abel Guobadia
| Abel Guobadia | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission | |
|
In office 2000 – May 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Ephraim Akpata |
| Succeeded by | Maurice Iwu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 28, 1932 Benin City, Nigeria |
| Died | February 5, 2011 |
| Political party | None |
Sir Abel Guobadia OFR (June 28, 1932 – February 4, 2011) was an educator, administrator, diplomat and retired public servant.
Abel Guobadia was born on June 28, 1932, in Benin City, Nigeria. He attended C.M.S. Primary Schools in Benin City (1939–1945); Government College, Ibadan (1946–1951); University College Ibadan (1952–1957). In 1962, he won a scholarship for graduate studies in the United States of America and was awarded the Ph.D. in solid-state physics from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, in 1966.
Prior to enrolling for his Ph.D., Abel Guobadia began his career as a physics teacher at Osogbo Grammar School (1957); Ilesha Grammar School (1958); Government College Ughelli (1958–1959); Edo College, Benin City (1960); Government College Ibadan (1960–1961) and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1961–1962). From 1966 - 1971, Dr. Guobadia was a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of Physics at the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Guobadia worked at Nigeria's National Universities Commission throughout most of the 1970s and early 1980s and rose to the position of Director of Academic Planning and subsequently, Executive Secretary of the Commission. In 1983, Dr. Guobadia helped the University of Benin, Benin City establish a Consultancy Services Unit and became the pioneer Director of the Unit.
In January 1984, Guobadia was appointed Commissioner of Education for the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria under the military administration of then Brigadier Jeremiah Useni. Later in 1986, the Colonel John Mark Inienger military administration appointed him the Bendel State Commissioner of Finance and Economic Planning. In 1987, President Ibrahim Babangida appointed Abel Guobadia Nigeria's first resident Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Upon retirement, Abel Guobadia floated a private educational consulting firm, Advanced Educational Services Limited, that was responsible for developing academic programs for several universities in Nigeria. Abel Guobadia and Professor T. M. Yesufu played an influential role in the establishment of the Igbinedion University, Okada in Edo State, Nigeria.
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