Biography

01

Early life and family

Professor Eghosa Osagie was born in Benin City on 27 April 1940 to Deacon Otasowie Obaseki-Osagie and Deaconess Grace Sagie, a customary court judge. Family records note that his mother used the surname Sagie, removing the initial “O” from Osagie.

His maternal grandfather was the Reverend Obadiah Emokpae, an early leader of the Baptist Church in Benin and the first ordained Baptist minister in Benin. The family relationship is preserved in the Osagie family archive; an external church-history study independently records Reverend Emokpae’s place in the history of the Benin Baptist Church.

His upbringing united learning, public responsibility and Christian service—three commitments that would remain central throughout his life.

Archive note: Details of parentage and family relationships on this page are supplied by the family archive. Where independent published records are available, they are listed below.

02

Education and training

Osagie studied Economics at Pomona College in Claremont, California, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965. He received a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1966 and a doctorate in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1971.

In 1967, between his master’s and doctoral studies, he undertook a project-evaluation traineeship at the OECD Development Centre in Paris. This combination of economic theory, development analysis and applied policy training helped shape his later work on Nigeria and West Africa.

03

Academic and administrative career

Across these appointments, he combined teaching and research with institution-building, postgraduate supervision and the preparation of senior leaders for public service.

04

Policy and public service

Professor Osagie’s consultancy work included assignments for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the United Nations Development Programme and agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He also served on the Governing Council of Edo State University and chaired the Financial Sector Technical Working Group for Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020. His policy work addressed international trade and finance, structural adjustment, revenue mobilisation, exchange-rate management and Nigeria’s balance of payments.

05

Scholarship and economic thought

His scholarship spans international economics, monetary theory, regional integration and Nigerian economic development. Early works included “Guidelines for an African Economic Ideology” (1974), the book Economic Integration and ECOWAS (1978), and a study of the West African Clearing House and pressures for monetary integration (1979).

In later essays and lectures, he examined structural adjustment, speculation and the persistent depreciation of the naira. He argued that repeated devaluation could intensify inflation and speculative pressure where the foreign-exchange market was structurally unstable. His preferred remedies placed greater weight on economic diversification, domestic production and institutional reform.

In recognition of his contributions, the University of Benin awarded him a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, in 2016.

06

Faith and family

Christian faith has remained an important part of Professor Osagie’s public and private life. He was ordained a deacon at United Baptist Church in Jos, Plateau State, and in retirement has continued to write sermons and serve as Chaplain of Deaconess Dorcas Erioye Emokpae Chapel.

He is married to Mrs Ame Osagie, a former Deputy Registrar at the University of Jos. They have children and grandchildren. Their family life, shared faith and commitment to education form an important part of the story preserved by this archive.