The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), the academic community, and the nation at large were thrown into deep mourning on Sunday, December 28, 2025, following the sudden death of the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Charles Arizechukwu Igwe, who reportedly slumped and died after suffering a heart attack.
The shocking news of his passing filtered out in the early hours of Sunday, leaving colleagues, students, alumni, and admirers devastated. Professor Igwe’s death came as a painful blow to a university he served with uncommon dedication and distinction, and to a scholarly community that benefitted immensely from his brilliance, humility, and steady leadership.
Professor Igwe, a renowned soil scientist of international repute, served as the 15th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, a position he held until the end of his tenure in mid-2024, when he formally handed over to a successor. Even after leaving office, he remained deeply invested in the growth of the institution, offering guidance, mentorship, and intellectual leadership whenever called upon.
Widely respected for his groundbreaking contributions to tropical soil stability and environmental sustainability, Prof. Igwe built an illustrious academic career that spanned decades of teaching, research, and administration. His scholarly works earned him recognition far beyond Nigeria’s borders, positioning him as one of the country’s most accomplished soil scientists and a proud ambassador of Nigerian scholarship.
As Vice-Chancellor, he was known for his calm disposition, firm sense of duty, and people-oriented leadership style. Many recall his tenure as a period marked by stability, institutional discipline, and renewed focus on academic excellence, despite the numerous challenges confronting the Nigerian university system. His ability to balance intellectual rigor with administrative prudence endeared him to staff and students alike.
The announcement of his sudden death has continued to attract an outpouring of grief and tributes from across the country and beyond. Lecturers describe him as a mentor who listened, students remember him as a leader who cared, while colleagues speak of a man whose integrity and scholarship spoke louder than words.
Flags flew at half-mast in parts of the university community as the sombre reality of his passing set in. For many, the pain is heightened by the suddenness of his death, coming at a time when his wealth of experience and wisdom were still needed in shaping the future of higher education in Nigeria.
Professor Charles Arizechukwu Igwe is survived by family members, academic protégés, and a generation of scholars inspired by his life of service. His death leaves a profound void in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and in Nigeria’s academic landscape, but his legacy of excellence, leadership, and scholarly impact will endure.
As UNN mourns one of its finest sons, the memory of Prof. Igwe stands as a solemn reminder of a life devoted to knowledge, service, and the advancement of humanity. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.
