Ezenwa-Ohaeto (1958–2005) was a Nigerian poet, short story writer and academic.[1] [2] [3] He was one of the first Nigerians to publish poems written in pidgin English.[3] He died in Cambridge in 2005.[4]
Ezenwa-Ohaeto was born on 31 March 1958 to Michael Ogbonnaya Ohaeto and Rebecca Ohaeto in Ife Ezinihite in Mbaise local government area of Imo State.[5] He began his primary education at St. Augustine Grammar School, Nkwerre in 1971.[5] He completed his secondary education in 1975 with distinction in arts and sciences with a Grade One certificate.[5] He studied at the University of Nigeria[3] under the tutelage of novelist Chinua Achebe and critic Donatus Nwoga from 1971 to 1979.[5] He subsequently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with honours in English.[5] He earned a Masters of Arts from UNN with a scholarship from the Imo state government in 1982.[5] In 1991, he was awarded a PhD in literature from University of Benin.[3] [5]
Ezenwa-Ohaeto began his teaching career in 1980 as an assistant lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University.[5] From 1982 to 1992 he taught at Anambra State College of Education, Awka as a lecturer.[5] He then taught at Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education as an assistant professor from 1992 to 1998 [5] and as a senior lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University from 1998 until his death in 2005.[5] Ezenwa-Ohaeto was married to Ngozi with who he had four children.
He was the father of Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto.[6]