DISCOVER NIGERIA: The Man Who Solved A 361 Year Old Problem

By Nehi Igbinijesu.

On the 13th of March, 2008, foremost mathematician and nationalist, Professor Chike Obi, CFR, passed away at the age of 87. Born Chike Edozien Umezei Obi, in Zaria on 17th April 1921, he lived a very accomplished life. In 1950, he became the first Nigerian to bag a PhD in Mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lectured at the University of Ibadan in the ‘50s and proceeded to the University of Lagos, where he retired in 1985. Professor Chike Obi was a founding member of the Dynamic Party of Nigeria, a pre-independence political outfit which later merged with the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC). Most notable among the feats he achieved was providing the solution to a 361- year old problem known as Fermat’s Last Theorem in 1994. Professor Obi was a recipient of the globally renowned Sigvard Ecklund Prize for Original Work in Differential Equation, from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics. Until his death, Professor Obi was actively involved in research. He stands out as one of the most remarkable people in our nation’s history.