Biafra: Honouring professor Felix Oragwu at 91 with pride

By Kingsley Ikechukwu

Professor Felix Oragwu turned 91 years old on March 22, 2025.

According to Diaspora digital media (DDM) reports, he is one of Nigeria’s greatest scientific minds.
Yet, his name remains largely unknown to the general public.
His extraordinary contribution during the Biafran War has been forgotten by many.
But now is the time to celebrate his genius and legacy.

The Biafran War took place between 1967 and 1970.
It followed the secession of Nigeria’s southeastern region, which became the Republic of Biafra.
The federal government responded with a military offensive and a total blockade.

Biafra was completely cut off from food, medicine, fuel, and military supplies.

To survive, the new nation had to rely on science, innovation, and resilience.

The Republic of Biafra established the Research and Production (RAP) unit.

It was a team of scientists, engineers, and technicians.
Their mission was to develop essential wartime technology locally.
Professor Felix Oragwu led one of the most important sections within RAP.

He was a brilliant physicist, trained and determined to find solutions.

Oragwu and his team worked day and night under intense pressure.

They had limited materials and faced constant bombing from Nigerian forces.
Despite the challenges, their achievements remain legendary.

The most remarkable of these was the creation of aviation fuel from palm oil.
At the time, this seemed impossible to many in the outside world.

Traditional aviation fuel was unavailable due to the blockade.
Biafran aircraft could not fly without an alternative.
Professor Oragwu’s team turned to what was abundant—palm oil.
They developed a refining process to transform palm oil into usable fuel.
That fuel successfully powered aircraft engines during the war.

This innovation was far ahead of its time.
Over fifty years later, the world is now catching up.
In 2024, Indonesia tested palm oil-based fuel for aircraft.
Global headlines hailed it as a groundbreaking achievement.
Yet, Professor Oragwu and his team did it in the 1960s.

The RAP team also developed other critical wartime technologies.
They built bombs, rockets, and the famous Ogbunigwe explosive device.

They created radios and communication equipment from scrap materials.
They designed armoured vehicles and medical devices under extreme conditions.
Their work saved lives and prolonged Biafra’s ability to resist.

After the war ended in 1970, RAP was dissolved.
Its brilliant scientists were never officially recognized.
Their work was hidden, erased, or simply forgotten.
Professor Oragwu’s name disappeared from textbooks and national narratives.
His achievements were buried with the end of Biafra.

Today, as Professor Oragwu marks 91 years of life, we reflect.
We reflect on what Nigeria lost by ignoring men like him.
We reflect on the power of African innovation in crisis.
And we reflect on the importance of preserving our scientific history.
Professor Oragwu deserves to be celebrated across Nigeria and beyond.

His story is not only about war and survival.
It is about vision, courage, and intellectual brilliance.
He proved that Africans could solve complex technological problems.
He showed that necessity can drive revolutionary invention.
His work should inspire today’s young scientists and innovators.

History has not been kind to Professor Oragwu.
But it is never too late to set the record right.
He stands today as a living legend—humble but proud.
His mind soared higher than the aircraft he helped to fly.
Professor Oragwu, we honour you and thank you.

Happy 91st birthday to a true hero of science.
Your legacy endures, even when history tried to forget.
Let your name be written boldly in our national story.
May future generations learn from your genius and determination.
Nigeria must never again ignore its own brilliance.

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