- Ishaya Audu
Infobox Politician
name = Ishaya Sha'aibu Audu
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office = Minister of External Affairs of Nigeria
term_start = 1979
term_end = 1983
predecessor =Henry Adefope
successor =Emeka Anyaoku
birth_date =March 1 ,1927
birth_place =Anchau , British Nigeria
death_date =August 29 ,2005
death_place = United States
party =National Party of Nigeria
relations = Victoria Abosede Ohiorhe, wife
residence = Zaria,Kaduna State
alma_mater = University College,Ibadan
occupation = Doctor, academic, and politician
religion = ChristianityIshaya Sha'aibu Audu (
March 1 ,1927 –August 29 ,2005 ) was aNigeria n doctor, professor, and politician. A Hausa Christian, he served as Minister of External Affairs (Foreign Minister) from 1979 to 1983 underShehu Shagari .Early life, education, and career in academia
Audu was born on March 1, 1927 in
Anchau , a village near Zaria,Kaduna State , to a father who had converted fromIslam to Christianity.cite web |url= http://www.dailytrust.com/archives/Monday26%20Sept2005/opinion2.htm|title= Tribute to prof. Ishaya Audu|accessdate=2007-04-29 |last=Ozigi|first=Albert|work= Daily Trust Online|publisher=Media Trust Nigeria, Limited] Initially educated at St. Bartholomew’s School inWusasa , he moved toYaba Higher College inLagos and then to University College,Ibadan (since renamed to theUniversity of Ibadan ) in 1948. In 1951 he left for theUniversity of London in England, where he stayed until 1954; in 1955 he studied at theUniversity of Liverpool (also in England). It was in 1958 that he married his wife, Victoria, with whom he would father six children.cite news |url= http://www.newswatchngr.com/editorial/allaccess/bob/10905151029.htm|title=A Medical Icon Goes Home |date=2005-09-05|accessdate=2007-04-29 |last=Onyekwere |first=Joseph |work=|publisher= Newswatch Communications]Audu lectured in internal medicine at the
University of Lagos in 1962 and was promoted to the position of Vice Chancellor of theAhmadu Bello University in 1966. (He had been the personal physician ofAhmadu Bello , namesake of the university.) He also travelled to the United States where he was employed as an associate research professor at theUniversity of Rochester ,New York , and wrapped up his education at theOhio University in Athens,Ohio from 1964 until 1968.Political career
Audu was a member of the
National Party of Nigeria when PresidentShehu Shagari gave Audu the position of Minister of External Affairs in 1979. He also served as Nigeria's Ambassador to theUnited Nations . After the 1983 overthrow of Shagari's government by GeneralMuhammadu Buhari (and the replacement of the Second Republic with military dictatorship), Audu was detained for a year.Later life
After his release Audu took up private practice at his own hospital in
Samaru ; he also founded his own church. He died onAugust 29 ,2005 while in the United States for medical treatment.References
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