Born on 10 January 1925 in Anum, in Ghana’s Eastern Region, Letitia Obeng began her education at a primary school in Abetifi before continuing to Kyebi Middle School. She later attended the prestigious Achimota College from 1939 to 1946. Her exceptional academic performance earned her a government scholarship to study at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom between 1948 and 1952. At the time, she was the only African female student on the university’s Edgbaston campus. Despite facing racial and gender prejudice in post-war Britain, she persevered and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and Botany, becoming the first Ghanaian woman to achieve this milestone.

Driven by a passion for scientific discovery, she continued her studies and earned a Master of Science degree in Parasitology from the University of Birmingham in 1962 before obtaining a PhD in Tropical Medicine from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in 1964. Her doctoral research focused on the black fly, the insect responsible for transmitting river blindness (onchocerciasis), a disease that has affected millions across Africa. During her research in North Wales, she often took her three young children along while collecting samples from rivers and streams, demonstrating her remarkable ability to balance family life with a demanding scientific career.

After completing her studies, Dr. Letitia Obeng returned to Ghana to contribute to the country’s scientific and educational development. She lectured at what is now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) from 1952 to 1959, becoming the institution’s first female scientist. Following the death of her husband in 1959, she joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), then known as the National Research Council of Ghana, where she became the first scientist employed by the organization.

Recognizing the importance of Ghana’s newly created Volta Lake, Dr. Letitia Obeng established the Institute of Aquatic Biology in 1964 to conduct research on the country’s vast inland water systems. Her work laid the foundation for aquatic and environmental research in Ghana and helped shape scientific understanding of freshwater ecosystems, fisheries, and sustainable development.

Her expertise soon gained international recognition. In 1972, she delivered the prestigious Caroline Haslett Memorial Lecture in the United Kingdom, speaking on Nation Building and the African Woman. That same year, she participated in the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. Two years later, she joined the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), eventually rising to become Director of the UNEP Regional Office for Africa and the organization’s representative on the continent. In these roles, she championed environmental conservation, public health, scientific cooperation, and sustainable development across Africa.

Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Letitia Obeng conducted groundbreaking research in parasitology, freshwater biology, environmental science, and tropical diseases. Her studies on the life cycle of black flies significantly advanced scientific understanding of river blindness, while her research on the environmental impacts of major African dams, including Lake Volta, Lake Kariba, Lake Kainji, and Lake Nasser, provided valuable insights into balancing development with environmental protection.

She authored numerous influential publications, including The Helminth Fauna of Rodents of the Sub-family Murinae in Ghana (1965), Man-made Lakes (1969), Wildlife in the Volta Basin (1969), Volta Lake: Physical and Biological Aspects (1973), Should Dams Be Built? The Volta Lake Example (1977), Starvation or Bilharzia? A Rural Development Dilemma (1978), Man’s Impact on Tropical Rivers (1981), Progress of Science in Africa–in Tradition, Culture and Religion (1986), and The Right to Health in Tropical Agriculture (1992). She also wrote Parasites: The Sly and Sneaky Enemies Inside You (1997), a science book written for the general public, and A Silent Heritage: An Autobiography (2008), which chronicles her extraordinary life and career. In 2019, she published Anthology of a Lifetime, a collection of her speeches, lectures, writings, and publications spanning more than six decades.

Dr. Letitia Obeng came from a family that made significant contributions to Ghana’s development. She was the sister of Theodosia Okoh, the renowned artist who designed Ghana’s national flag. Her father, Very Reverend E. V. Asihene, served as Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, while her mother was Dora Asihene. She was married to George A. Obeng until his passing in 1959, and together they had three children, including internationally acclaimed organizational theorist Professor Eddie Obeng.

Her pioneering achievements earned her numerous national and international honours. She became a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1965 and, in 2006, made history as the Academy’s first female President. She also served as a Distinguished International Visitor Fellow at Radcliffe College from 1992 to 1993 and became the first woman to receive the CSIR Award for Distinguished Career and Service to Science and Technology in 1997. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, one of the CSIR laboratories was named the Letitia Obeng Block. She received Ghana’s highest national honour, the Order of the Star of Ghana, in 2006, and in 2017, KNUST awarded her an honorary Doctor of Science degree. Dr. Letitia Obeng was the first Ghanaian woman to earn a university degree in Zoology and the first Ghanaian woman to obtain a doctorate.

Dr. Letitia Eva Takyibea Obeng passed away on 23 March 2023 at the age of 98.

 

Reference: Wikipedia