Francisca Nneka Okeke

Francisca Nneka Okeke
Born	Idemili North, Anambra State, Nigeria
Occupation(s)	Physicist, Professor of Physics
Years active	1980–present
Known for	Research on ionosphere and equatorial electrojet; first female head of Physics Department at University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Francisca Nneka Okeke is a distinguished Nigerian physicist and serves as a Professor of Physics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to lead a department there.

Biography

Originating from Idemili North in Anambra State, Okeke earned her B.Sc. in Physics in 1980, followed by an M.Sc. in Science Education in 1985, an M.Sc. in Applied Earth Geophysics in 1989, and a Ph.D. specializing in Ionospheric Geophysics in 1995, all from the University of Nigeria. She also completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Tokyo in Japan.

Between 2003 and 2006, she held the position of Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and later served as Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences from 2008 until 2010. In both capacities, she was the first woman to assume such leadership roles. Additionally, she became the inaugural female physics professor in eastern Nigeria. Throughout her tenure, she emphasized recruiting female academic staff, thereby boosting women’s representation within physical sciences. Okeke is a committed advocate for increasing the involvement of women and girls in science and technology fields.

In 2011, she was honored with fellowship at the Nigerian Academy of Science, which is recognized as Nigeria’s foremost scientific institution.

Scientific research

Okeke’s scientific investigations concentrate on the ionosphere and the equatorial electrojet, an eastward-flowing electric current along the dip equator driven by solar activity that produces magnetic field fluctuations far exceeding those found elsewhere on Earth. Her expertise encompasses areas such as geomagnetism, atmospheric physics, and climate variability.

Her research into how solar phenomena influence Earth's magnetic field contributes significantly to climate change knowledge and offers potential insights into predicting natural calamities like tsunamis and earthquakes.

She has supervised 12 doctoral candidates and approximately 28 master's students. Among her mentees, Theresa Obiekezie stands out for receiving the AU-TWAS Young Scientist Award in 2010.

Awards

In recognition of her work elucidating daily variations in upper atmospheric ion currents and their implications for climate change studies, Okeke was awarded the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award for Africa and Arab States in 2013. That same year, New African magazine included her among the Top 100 most influential Africans.

Personal life

Francisca entered into marriage with fellow physicist Pius Nwankwo Okeke at age 18. Together, they have raised six children.

Membership of professional bodies

• Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Science, FAS
• Fellow, Japanese Society for Promotion of Science, FJSPS
• Fellow, Nigeria Institute of Physics, FNIP
• Member, Governing Council of ANSTI
• Jury Member: Regional Fellowship for Women in Science across sub-Saharan Africa
• ASEG Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists
• AAWS African Association of Women Society
• OWSD Organization of Women in Science for the Developing World
• AGU American Geophysical Union
• NIP Nigerian Institute of Physics
• SAN Science Association of Nigeria
• IAU International Astronomical Union
• Former Board Member, INWES International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists; Member, WIP Women in Physics
• SGEPSS Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences
• ANSTI African Network for Science and Technological Institutions, Governing Council Member