12 Things to Know About Late Edwin Clark

Eric Patrick

A highly respected leader, and elder statesman from the Niger Delta region, Edwin Clark, passed away on Monday at the age of 97.

Clark’s death was confirmed in a statement on Tuesday by a family representative, Prof. C. C. Clark.

The PANDEF also issued an official announcement, signed by its spokesman, Obiuwevbi Ominimini.

Here are 12 things to know about Edwin Clark:

1. He was born on May 25, 1927, in Kiagbodo, Delta State.
2. He started school at African Church School in 1938 and later attended Government Teachers Training College, Abraka.
3. Between 1961 and 1964, he studied Law at Holborn College in the United Kingdom.
4. His political career began in 1953 when he was elected a councillor in Bomadi (now in Delta State).
5. In the past, he held several important roles, including:

Commissioner for Education (Mid-Western Region, 1968-1971)
Commissioner for Finance and Establishment (Bendel State, 1972-1975).

READ ALSO: PANDEF Mourns Edwin Clark, Says ‘Mighty Iroko Has Fallen’

6. He worked with the administrations of military governor Samuel Ogbemudia and the Federal Commissioner for Information under General Yakubu Gowon between 1966 and 1975.
7. As Commissioner for Education, he helped establish the Mid-West Institute of Technology, which later became the University of Benin.
8. According to Wikipedia, Clark was a strong voice for the Niger Delta, pushing for better resource control, environmental protection and economic development in the region.
9. He was a key figure in the PANDEF and the Ijaw National Congress, consistently working for policies that supported the Niger Delta’s growth.
10. He founded Edwin Clark University in Kiagbodo, Delta State, to provide education opportunities for young Nigerians.
11. His impact on Nigeria’s politics and advocacy spanned decades, and he remained a respected elder statesman until his passing on February 17, 2025.
12. The Nigerian poet J. P. Clark was his younger brother.