A life that defied the limitations of her time

Born in Sapele on 5 May 1942, Grace was the daughter of Chief Luke Joe Igben of Ekpan, in present-day Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, and Mrs Uwejoma Anna Joe Igben, née Ovwere, of Ovu in Agbon Kingdom. She grew up when educational opportunities were expanding, but girls’ futures were still often shaped by expectations of marriage and domestic responsibility. For families balancing limited resources, a daughter’s professional education could be difficult to secure.

Grace began her education at Convent Girls Elementary School, Sapele, in 1949. Her exceptional memory and academic ability earned her the affectionate nickname “Magnetic Brain”. The Catholic Reverend Sisters recognised her promise, while her achievements in sprinting revealed the same discipline and energy she brought to her studies. She earned admission to St Anne’s School, Ibadan, but did not take up the place. With her father’s approval, she instead attended Our Lady of Apostles Girls Secondary School, Sapele, from 1954 to 1959. She finished with distinction and was offered an opportunity to remain on the school’s support teaching staff.

Her ambition, however, was nursing. In 1959, aged seventeen, she passed the entrance examination, only to find that success did not guarantee permission to train. Her father feared that nursing would interfere with marriage, motherhood and family responsibilities. With several children to support, he also prioritised his sons’ graduate and vocational education. Grace had earned the chance to pursue her vocation, but the door remained closed.

The Reverend Sisters encouraged her to try again. In 1960 she sat the examination a second time and passed once more. Her persistence, and the disappointment caused by his earlier refusal, led her father to reconsider. He gave both his consent and financial support. That change of heart was a turning point: encouragement had sustained her ambition, and family support now made it possible. In 1961, Grace entered the School of Nursing, Ibadan.

She qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1963. Following the creation of the Mid-Western Region that year, she was posted to the General Hospital in Benin City. In 1965 she added a Midwifery qualification, becoming one of the earliest professionally qualified nurses from her community in what is now Uvwie Local Government Area. The young woman whose professional future had been questioned was helping to widen the possibilities visible to those who followed her.

Grace’s career took her to Asaba, Benin City, Warri, Sapele, Eku, Auchi, Bomadi, Orerokpe and Maiduguri. Across these assignments, nursing called on her knowledge, patience, composure and compassion. She remained in government healthcare until 1981, when she joined the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as one of its pioneer nurses in the then Bendel State. She rose to Chief Health Superintendent, serving as the most senior Nursing Officer and heading NNPC Medical Zonal Units. She retired in 1997 after more than three decades in healthcare.

Her profession also brought an encounter that shaped her family life. In 1964, at Eku Baptist Hospital, then under the Baptist Church, Grace was the nurse placed directly in charge of Chief Bernard Baro Bakpa’s care. Then popularly known as Hon B.B. Bakpa, he was a businessman and politician serving as a parliamentarian in the newly established Mid-Western Region of Nigeria. Their meeting as nurse and patient gradually developed into a relationship and ultimately marriage. Their marriage lasted 43 years, until Chief Bernard Baro Bakpa’s passing in 2010.

Grace embraced both professional achievement and devotion to family. Her home became a place of hospitality, guidance and reassurance for relatives, friends and others seeking support. She helped widows, encouraged younger people and cared for people beyond her immediate household. To many, she was a mother in the fullest sense. The compassion expressed in her nursing continued in the everyday ways she welcomed and supported others.

Christian faith was central to her life. Her familiarity with Scripture earned her the affectionate description “walking Bible”. For approximately twenty years, she was a devoted member of Living Faith Church, popularly known as Winners Chapel. She mentored and encouraged fellow believers, expressing her convictions through generosity, forgiveness, hospitality and practical service. Her faith was visible in the care she offered.

The Foundation carries her values forward through education, health and partnerships.