Jeff Elochukwu Unaegbu

Jephthah Elochukwu Unaegbu (born October 1, 1979) is a Nigerian writer, researcher, freelance journalist, actor, and documentary filmmaker known for his multifaceted contributions to literature, media, and African cultural scholarship.

Personal Background

Jeff Elochukwu Unaegbu was born in Amankwo-Inyi village, situated in the Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. He is the eldest of five surviving children of Mr. John Ejike Unaegbu and Mrs. Cecilia Enonanma Unaegbu.

Early Life and Education

Jeff began his academic journey at Government Secondary School, Minna, where he studied science subjects from 1990 to 1996. After secondary school, he pursued his interest in technology at the Muhanatu Computer Institute, earning a Certificate and a Diploma in Computer Data Processing with distinction in 2000.

His passion for communication and storytelling led him to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 2002, where he studied Mass Communication and graduated in 2006 with Second Class Honours. During this time, he served as Editor of Roar Magazine, the university’s official student publication.

In 2018, Jeff earned a Master of Arts in African Studies from UNN’s Institute of African Studies, marking the beginning of his scholarly engagement with African identity, literature, and history.

Academic and University Career

Jeff joined the Institute of African Studies, UNN, as a Higher Technical Officer in 2008 and was promoted to Research Fellow in 2021, in recognition of his academic and literary achievements.

Writing and Literary Career

Jeff’s writing journey began while working at the Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans. His first published book, Ode on Lagos (This Lagos Na Wa), a poetic portrait of urban life, debuted in 2006 and was later republished in 2010. Newswatch magazine hailed one of its poems as “the longest poem by a Nigerian,” while Roar described it as “the longest metrical poem in Africa.”

His follow-up work, Freedom in Our Bones: The History of the Students’ Union Government, UNN (1960–2004), was released in 2007, during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year in Bayelsa State, where he also began The Origins of the NYSC. During this period, he co-authored Alexander O.E. Animalu: A Biography with Dr. Godfrey Akpojotor.

He went on to publish and co-author numerous titles, including:

• The Secret Principles of Female Powers (2009)
• Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama African World Challenge
• The Youth and National Development in Nigeria (2010)
• This Mosquito in Your Net (short stories)
• Sambisa Forest and Other Stories (2021)

His short story “Prey” was shortlisted for the inaugural African Writing Prize for Flash Fiction. Ode on Lagos was also shortlisted for the ANA/Cadbury Prize, and he received a travel fellowship from ASAUK in 2011.

He contributed to institutional memory projects such as:

• University of Nigeria Book of Fame series (with Professors Alex Animalu and Sam Onuigbo)
• Biography of Cyril Agodi Onwumechili (2012)
• Fifty Years of African Studies: History of the Institute of African Studies, UNN (2013)
• Braving the Stars: Biography of Pius Nwankwo Okeke (2014, listed by Book Authority)

Jeff also co-authored:

• 92 Days in Power: Dr. A.A. Nwafor-Orizu (GCON) (2014)
• Iroko from Sapling: The History of the Faculty of Agriculture, UNN
• Pride of the Den (2017)
• Biography of Gordian Ezekwe (2018)
• Biography of Prof. James Nwoye Adichie—referenced by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in The New Yorker (2020)

His philosophical work, The Jephian Philosophy (2020), was acknowledged by Noam Chomsky. His poetry and prose appear in journals and anthologies like Best New African Poets 2020.

Public Service and Cultural Advocacy

In 2019, Jeff was appointed Ambassador for the Oja Cultural Development Initiative (OCDI) and later participated in a cultural residency in Zimbabwe, where he oversaw the construction of an Igbo Indigenous Architecture compound and represented the Igbo at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe’s Cultural Conversations.

In 2020, he initiated the creation of a monumental hand statue at UNN, symbolizing the founding fathers’ vision. In 2022, he became Director of Protocol and Strategic Contacts at the Tropical Gate Foundation for Sustainable Development.

Activism

In 2012, Jeff co-founded the influential Facebook group Occupy Nigeria: Nationwide Anti-Fuel Subsidy Removal, with Gimba Kakanda and Richard Ali. The group became central to organizing nationwide protests and was later the subject of a Ph.D. dissertation by George Emeka Agbo at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

He also instituted the Cecilia Unaegbu Prize in Flash Fiction in 2011 and served as a judge for the Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize.

Notable Works (Selected)

Short Story Collections

• This Mosquito in Your Net (2010)
• Sambisa Forest and Other Stories (2021)

Poetry

• Ode on Lagos (2006, 2010)
• Elephant Tusk: An Epic (2021, with Amarachi Attamah)
• “There May Be A Historian Amongst the Ants” (Best New African Poets Anthology, 2020)

Biographical and Nonfiction Works

• Freedom in Our Bones (2007)
• Alexander O.E. Animalu: A Biography (2008)
• The Origins of the NYSC (2009)
• Biography of Prof. James Nwoye Adichie
• Amazing Grace: The Authorized Biography of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu (2022, 2 vols)
• The Alaigbo Development Foundation: Ten Years of Struggle and Service to the Igbo Nation (2024, with Prof. Uzodinma Nwala)

Academic Publications (Selected)

• “Does the Imposition of a Candidate at Party Primaries Increase the Probability of Winning an Election?”
• “Gaia Hypothesis from an African Perspective”
• “The Supreme Deity Concept in Igbo Pre-Missionary Religious Thought”
• “Physics in the Traditional Practices of the Igbo”
• “Complementary Dualism in Achebe’s Arrow of God”

Filmography

• Saved by Sin, Parts 2 & 3 (2007)
• Zik of Africa – A Historical Reflection (2008/2010)
• Journalism (Flash Documentary) (2010)

Legacy

Jeff Elochukwu Unaegbu’s contributions span literature, scholarship, public service, and cultural advocacy. He is widely regarded as a multi-dimensional thinker whose work consistently uplifts African values, promotes Igbo identity, and nurtures literary excellence.

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