Photo: Oghenetega Ighedo, record breaker
Nigerian woman breaks 148-year-old record, bags UNISA first female PhD Mathematics
Oghenetega Ighedo, a brilliant Nigerian female mathematician, has broken a 148-year-old record at the University of South Africa, UNISA, by emerging as the first-ever black woman to earn a Doctorate Degree (PhD) in Pure Mathematics from the institution.
Ighedo, now an Associate Professor of Pure Mathematics, started her higher Academic studies at Delta State University, DELSU, South-South, Nigeria, where she bagged a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Mathematics.
She thereafter proceeded to the University of Ibadan, South-West, Nigeria for her Master’s in Mathematics, after which she enrolled at UNISA for her Doctorate (PhD) Mathematics.
Speaking about the record she broke at the Unversity of South Africa, Oghenetega Ighedo narrated that she was inspired by her mother who was a Mathematics teacher.
“I was inspired by my mother – a retired maths teacher. I saw the way she was going about teaching it and when I grew older, I thought the way she did maths was interesting and I wanted to see if I could do it like her,” she said.
Ighedo further said that she remains dedicated to studying Pure Mathematics because there are few black mathematicians and most especially because there are few black women who are pure mathematicians.
“My decision to study pure mathematics was also motivated by the fact that not only are there few black pure mathematicians but there are fewer black women who are pure mathematicians,” she said.
She encouraged young women not to let the adversity and challenges of Mathematics deter them from excelling in the field.
“When I started my PhD I was already married, I had two children and was expecting my 3rd child.
“In spite of being a mother and a wife, I was able to complete my PhD within three years,” she added.
