Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a Nigerian politician, business man, and philanthropist, was born on Friday, September 4, 1942, to Pa Bernard Iwuanyanwu and Madam Hulder Iwuanyanwu of Umuohii Atta in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.
He attended St. Patrick’s School, Nkpokwu (later renamed Rukpokwu), Port Harcourt, for his primary education from 1948 to 1952. He then moved to Holy Trinity Primary School in Umuapara (now Rumuapara) in Rivers State, where he completed his primary education in 1954. His secondary education was at New Bethel College, Onitsha, Anambra State, from 1955 to 1959. His academic brilliance earned him admission to the Federal School of Science in Lagos in 1960, where he studied Pure and Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
In 1963, Iwuanyanwu gained admission to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to study Civil Engineering. His studies were interrupted by the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). Iwuanyanwu was drafted into the Biafra Research and Production (RaP) Directorate, headed by Professor Benjamin Chukwuka Nwosu, where he served in the Rocket Unit under Professor Gordian Ezekwe.
Following the war, Iwuanyanwu volunteered to sweep wartime mines for the Nigerian federal government, leveraging his knowledge from his role as Head of Biafran Combat Intelligence.
Chief Iwuanyanwu was a devoted family man. He was married to Lady Eudora Nnenna Ozinyereaku Iwuanyanwu for over 40 years, with whom he had three sons and five daughters. Lady Eudora passed away on August 28, 2011, at the age of 63. In her honor, Chief Iwuanyanwu committed to building and donating ten Cancer Screening and Treatment Centers across Nigeria. On September 14, 2013, he married Frances Chinonyerem (née Enwerem).
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu passed away on July 25, 2024, at the age of 81, following a brief illness. Iwuanyanwu was until his death the 11th president-general of Ọhanaeze Ndigbo. His life and legacy continue to inspire many across Nigeria and beyond.