Pioneer, Patriot, and Nigerian Nationalist

Book excerpt: Based on extensive archival, oral, and relevant secondary sources from Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States, this comprehensive biography tells the story of the Reverend M. D. Opara of eastern Nigeria--an indomitable missionary pioneer, patriot, and nationalist. Ekechi provides a panoramic view of the dynamics of social and political change in the history of Eastern Nigeria and gives special emphasis to Opara's missionary zeal, his fiery political activism, his pioneering initiatives in secondary and teacher training education, and, above all, his pursuit of the democratization of education, which he called "my great work for Africa." This book is part of the African World Series, edited by Toyin Falola, Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, University of Texas at Austin.