Prof Oghenetega Ighedo made history as the first Black woman to earn a PhD in Pure Mathematics from the University of South Africa (UNISA) in its 148-year existence.
The Nigerian-born Mathematician holds a BSc in Industrial Mathematics from Delta State University and an MSc in Pure Mathematics from the University of Ibadan before achieving this groundbreaking milestone.
Inspired by her mother, a retired math teacher, Prof Ighedo was drawn to the elegance of numbers. “I wanted to see if I could do it like her,” she recalls.
Balancing motherhood and academics, she completed her PhD in just three years while raising three children. She is now an Associate Professor at University of South Africa.
