Agnes was born on November 29, 1947 in Enugu, a bustling city in the old Anambra State in eastern Nigeria. Her father was Mr. Patrick Okpoko Anekwe and her mother was Mrs. Beatrice Uduego Anekwe (nee Okolo). She was the first child, and had five (5) siblings; Richard, Emma, Franca, Anne and Paula.  Her family was a very close-knit one, with daily dinner rituals and plenty of family gatherings and laughs. Agnes, as the first born, learned strong family values from her loving mother and father, who were strong advocates for being your "brother's keeper" and for having a strong and organized work ethic.  They nurtured and instilled a straight moral compass in Agnes, and inculcated strong maternal instincts in her as a youngster.

Agnes attended the Saint Michael's Primary School, Asata Enugu, graduating at the top of her class. She went on to attend the Cornelia Cornelly College, Uyo, at which she was an outstanding scholar, with an incredible affinity for written and spoken English language. She was also a student athlete, representing the school in Net Ball.  Agnes' outstanding secondary school performance and experience informed her desire to pursue the study of education and English at the post-secondary level.

Prior to attending university, she studied cosmetology and fashion design at the Institute of Management and Technology ("IMT") Enugu.

Agnes attended the University of Nigeria Nsukka for her bachelor's and master's degrees, with a primary focus on English.  Her Master's degree thesis, titled "An Evaluation of the Guidance Programmes in Secondary School in Anambra State" earned her top honors and national and international recognition.  Her accomplishments as a brilliant scholar shaped her intended career path and her desire to improve the level ofeducation in Nigeria.

Agnes met and fell in love with a young handsome Engineer freshly arriving from the United States of America, Mr. Augustine Uzobuenyi Otiji ("AU").  As fate and love would have it, they married in 1967.  Agnes and AU had seven (7) children; Ozumba, Okenna, Ifeoma, Ihekwaba, Ngozi, Nnanyelu and Chiedozie.   Through dedication, love, intelligence and sacrifice, their marriage survived the Biafran war and many other challenges that many Nigerians face from time-to-time. Agnes was devoted to, not only, her immediate family, but to her extended family and in-laws.  She gave birth to seven (7) children but was certainly mother to everyone that she came across.  She was the seamless glue that held the Otiji family together; nurturing and mending relationships, resolving conflicts, planning events/celebrations, providing encouragementand easing burdens.  She devoted her life to God, her husband, her children (and grandchildren), her siblings (and their children), her in-laws, her friends, her church, her community and all of mankind.

In 1947, a young woman walked into a church with her first child, a new-born daughter.  She placed the child on the alter and said, "Nke a bu nke mu nyelu Chukwu."  This child, I dedicate to God.  That child was Agnes, a devout roman catholic who practiced her religion by living her entire life as a Christian. Her daily life and actions were guided by her faith and she practiced what she preached.  She was very active in her church.  Agnes ensured that all her children were baptized, received the holy communion and lived as Christians.  Her dedication, activism and faith were recognized by the Pope through a special letter and certificate from the Vatican in 2014.

Agnes loved to read, cook, watch interesting and inspirational television shows and travel.  She most of all enjoyed spending time and communicating with family, friends and people from all walks of life.  She had never met a stranger, given that everyone she met became a close friend.  She loved to share her robust and informative life experiences, her warm and welcoming smile, her contagiously pleasant laugh, and her excellent demeanor and spirit that brightens even the foulest moods.

Agnes' dedication to her family, friends and community earned her the conferment of "Nne Di Ebube" title in 2008. 

In 2019, to commemorate her 50 years of marriage and service to others, she received an official letter from the Pope.

On December 24, 2020, shortly after turning 73 years old Agnes passed away after a relatively brief illness.  A few days before her death she advised her son of her desire to re-dedicate her life (in an official capacity) to helping young men and women in need of assistance, with regards to basic living (food and shelter), education (both formal and informal), health care, and mentorship.  One of her final wishes was to create a charitable foundation that would accomplish her dreams and desire to assist the less fortunate among us.

The Agnes Foundation for Women and Youths ("AFWY") is a non-profit charitable entity that was initiated and is being incorporated (in Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada), in an effort to accomplish the final wishes of Agnes.  The primary goal of AFWY is to generate the necessary funding to assist women and youths with basic living, education, healthcare and mentorship.  The foundation will accomplish this goal by initial investments from its trustees, and by soliciting donation from the grassroots, the government (local,national and international), accredited investors and non-governmental entities ("NGOs") and other charities. A carefully selected board of directors, representative of the population it serves, is being established to guide the operations of each arm of AFWY. Volunteers are essential to AFWY's work and is highly sought.  Please send an email to Felix Otiji (fotiji@msn.com) if you are interested in being a part of AFWY.  Donations are welcome through the organization's PayPal account (fotiji@gmail.com) and through its developing website (www.AgnesFoundation.org).