Ofonime Eve Mboso

Ofonime Eve Mboso was born on February 5, 1977, in Calabar, Cross River State, to Dr. Anietie Bassey and Mrs. Grace Anietie Bassey, both of blessed memory. She hailed from Otung Akpa Isemin in Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Her pursuit of excellence began early. She attended Aunty Margaret International School, Calabar, obtaining her First School Leaving Certificate in November 1988, then proceeded to Federal Government Girls’ College, Calabar, where she earned the West African Senior School Certificate in 1994.

Her journey in biochemistry began at the University of Calabar, where she earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) in January 2000. After completing the National Youth Service Corps, she returned to her alma mater for postgraduate studies — a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Microbiology (2005–2006), a Master of Science in Biochemistry (2006–2010), and a PhD in Biochemistry in 2014.

Dr. Eve Mboso’s academic journey was one of steady ascent and service to the University of Calabar and to her generation. She began in Administration in the Faculty of Education in 2008 before following her calling to the sciences. In 2011 she joined the Department of Biochemistry as an Assistant Lecturer. Her dedication to research and teaching earned her promotion to Lecturer II in 2014, Senior Lecturer in 2020, and Associate Professor in March 2026.

Her peers knew her as a rigorous, hardworking and thorough scholar, deeply committed to raising students ready to learn and work independently. She was a scholar who refused to choose between the laboratory and the pulpit, between the microscope and the altar. In the lecture halls she shaped minds with clarity and rigour, simplifying complex biochemical equations to ease her students’ understanding. Her commitment to knowledge was never for personal acclaim, but to equip the next generation to think critically and serve honestly.

Her scholarship gained international recognition when she was awarded the TWAS-ICCBS Research Fellowship in 2018. She carried out postdoctoral research at the H. E. J. Research Institute, University of Karachi, Pakistan, honing expertise in fluorescence microscopy, cell culture, and liquid and gas chromatography — training she brought home to strengthen both her research and the practical skills she passed on to her students.

Before her passing she was working towards purifying identified female fertility enhancement bioactive agents from local plants. She served the Department of Biochemistry as Examination Officer for the Medicine and Surgery preclinical programme, Chairperson of the Welfare Committee, Students Industrial Attachment Coordinator, and Chairman of the Departmental Postgraduate Committee. She was a member of the Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Society of Basic and Clinical Toxicology of Nigeria, and the West African Society of Toxicology.

Beyond the academics, Dr. Eve Mboso was a Minister of the Gospel. Her faith was not separate from her scholarship — it was its foundation. In the pulpit she taught with clarity and conviction, turning scripture into life for those who listened. In the place of prayer she interceded for families, students, colleagues, and generations. Many will remember her not only for what she taught, but for how she stood in the gap when they had no words left.

Her heart for intercession found expression in Pray Mompray, the annual prayer gathering she founded and hosted for mothers. Through it she encouraged women to see prayer not as a last resort, but as a spiritual investment in their children’s destiny and a weapon of intercession through Christ Jesus.

She was ordained a Pastor of the Fountain of Life Church in August 1998 by Pastors Taiwo and Bimbo Odukoya. When the church transitioned, she prepared all the foundational documents for the move from Fountain of Life Church to The SpringHouse Church. From 1999 through the late 2000s she wrote the weekly church bulletins, shaping the voice and communication of the congregation for nearly a decade. She later served as Associate Lead Pastor of The SpringHouse Church, Calabar.

Her theological training matched her practical service. She completed the Bible Institute for Christian Leadership on July 22, 2006, with over 500 hours of instruction, and on July 16, 2006 was ordained Reverend by Women of Wisdom Ministries International under the leadership of Dr. Curtis McCall-Way.

Dr. Ofonime Eve Mboso was joined in marital bliss to her heartthrob, Dr. Austin Godwin Mboso, in July 2000. For the rest of the first quarter of the 21st century, this couple and their beloved children exemplified a modest family life. To her family, Eve was a loving wife and mother whose home reflected the same order, warmth, and devotion she gave her work.

She understood that legacy is built in people, and she invested in hers daily — that the greatest legacy is not in titles or publications, but in the people who are stronger because you passed through their lives. She is survived by her husband, three children — Susan, Lerato, and Agape — extended family, colleagues and students. She is greatly missed by The SpringHouse Church, her lifelong stronghold in faith.

Before her passing on April 1, 2026, Dr. Ofonime Eve Mboso shaped minds in lecture halls, advanced scientific knowledge in the laboratory, transformed lives from the pulpit, and interceded for the future on her knees. She proved that a woman could be excellent in science without losing her tenderness, and strong in faith without abandoning her intellect. To humanity, she bequeathed a legacy of faith, scholarship, and service.