Chinedum Elekwachi
Tomorrow marks a historic moment in Anambra’s health revolution as Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) bestows its highest honour upon the architect of the state’s wellness culture.
On Saturday, May 24, 2025, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, Anambra’s First Lady, will officially receive her title of “Doctor of Public Health and Nutrition (Honoris Causa).”
This honour to a woman who revolutionized vegetable gardens into classrooms and made fitness fashionable is notable being the first honorary doctorate specifically for health and nutritional advocacy in COOU’s 25-year history.
The recognition celebrates a grassroots movement that has reached over 325 schools and 200,000 households and directly impacted thousands of Ndi Anambra youth, demonstrating how “small habits” have been converted into statewide policy.
From students now demanding garden-fresh lunches to the residents organizing weekly “Weekend Walkout Sessions,” Soludo’s Healthy Living crusade has reshaped Anambra’s relationship with wellness.
Even the university’s silver jubilee featured health walks, serving as a fitting tribute to the honoree’s belief that “healthy people build a prosperous homeland.”
As the sun rises over COOU’s convocation and silver jubilee arena tomorrow, it will illuminate not just an academic achievement, but also a transformative public health and nutrition story that continues to unfold, one garden, one child, one community at a time.
This doctorate is not just about Mrs. Soludo; it serves as a challenge to every resident of Anambra. Our health is our greatest asset. Congratulations, “Mmili Gulu-Egu” N’Isuofia!!
