The legacy of Engr. Nelson Ovhori is perhaps too great to fit within a single biography but those honored to know him intimately would say it was synonymous with diligence, selflessness, humility, intellect, heroism, love of family and country, and an unmovable spiritual faith. Nelson believed in the promise ofNigeriaand contributed integrally to the fulfillment of that promise. He preferred to celebrate rather than chastise his fellow man. The manner in which he lived will be embraced as a paradigm. 

The genesis of Nelson’s life was essential in identifying the formative influences he credited with shaping his vocational, religious and familial convictions. He was born on April 6th 1957 in thevillage ofAkperhe located in Olomo Kingdom of Ughelli South Local Government,DeltaState. His father Ukeke Ovhori, of Akperhe, Olomu, was a resourceful tradesman who resolved to travel to towns distant and near the family home in order to make provisions for Nelson and his 9 siblings. His mother Onodjohwoyovwe Arumala, of Umolo, Olomu, was not only a domestic but a farmer. Because he was delivered by his mother at a relatively older age, she initially christened him Oketayevwota, meaning "they had enough time to say whatever they wanted to say". However, it was a moniker which he earned as a result of the fortitude he embodied when working with his father during an assortment of Holidays from school, that his parents and siblings preferred to confer upon him, “Officer”. This was ultimately an allusion to a sense of greatness they felt he had been predestined for.

His early introduction to the observance of Christianity was inevitably rooted in his attending primary school at the Church Missionary Society (CMS) School in Akperhe. CMS was also where Nelson began to cultivate a dedication to Mathematics and Physics that would only bourgeon during Secondary School at the AsoroGrammar Schoolin Benin Citywhich he attended from 1971 to 1975. The knowledge he received motivated him to teach both subjects at Iwere Grammar School for a duration two years. His virtuosity, as well as the ethics he possessed, the leadership qualities he demonstrated were so evident to his contemporaries that he was recommended for the Federal Government Academic Merit Scholarship Award for University Education. He would enroll in the Universityof Beninand graduate with a Bachelors of Engineering (Civil Engineering) 2nd Class, Upper Division in 1983.

Nelson wasn’t merely supplemented by the formal education he obtained while attending the Universityof Benin, the institute also served as the backdrop for initially meeting a fellow student, Patricia Airewele, who would become his wife. They were married amidst a sunlit afternoon in Lagos on April 1st, 1989. It was the establishment of a union that would bless them with 4 children, a daughter, Eloho and three sons, Ejovi, Mudiaga and Etitoghene.

His personal and professional life simultaneously flourished. In December of 1984 he was employed by the Federal Government of Nigeria (Federal Ministry of Works) as an Executive Civil Engineer. He served in several positions within the Ministry across Nigeria - Lagos State, Adamawa State, Oyo State and Abuja. By 2013 he had been promoted to the Director of the Department of Infrastructure, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. The position required his supervision in the construction of several highways across Nigeria. The building of such edifices was a testament to Nelson’s experience, vigilance and ingenuity. Their durability is also a metaphor for the strength of his contributions, the transcendent nature of his legacy and how it will continue to resonate within his profession. In November of 2008 he was given the Nigerian Institute of Civil Engineers Award for Immense Contribution to the development of Civil Engineering practice inNigeria. Nelson would attest to the importance of partnerships and collaborations in the execution of each thoroughfare and it was his willingness to inspire solidarity for fundamental causes that will be recognized as a gift as sufficient as his technological capabilities.

He believed firmly in the power of education. He had been witness to how scholarliness and industry contributed to the uprooting of his life and he felt obliged to share his story and philosophies with adolescents. Motivated by learning throughout his life he continued to enroll in courses, most notably at the University of Birmingham, UK in 1998, University of Nairobi, Kenya in 2005, the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA in 2009. Nelson greatly admired his namesake, former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, and aspired to apply his spirit of altruism and charity. On December 6th 2014 Nelson was honored by the community of Akperhe,OlomoKingdom, for both his achievements and philanthropy. He developed a passion for playing lawn tennis as well as golfing during moments of leisure. Nelson continued to be fortified by his Christian faith. He was a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. On Saturday, February 21, 2015, Nelson passed away tragically in a car accident. He is survived by his loving wife and 4 adoring children. He is remembered by the countless men and women whose lives he enriched.