Chief (Sir) Jerome Udoji was born on July 17, 1917 in Ozubulu, Anambra State. He was educated at St Michael's Catholic School, Ozubulu and St Charles Teacher's Training Institute, Onitsha, and then at Cambridge University, England, between 1945-48 where he studied law. Udoji was called to the English Bar at Gray's Inn, England.
He returned to Nigeria and started off as a Grade III clerk in Western Nigeria. Udoji steadily climbed the ladder ending up as a Personal Assistant to the Provincial Secretary, Western Nigeria. Following this, he was appointed to several positions across the Service; Assistant District Officer, Ekiti Division, Western Nigeria, 1948-1950; District Officer, Egbado Division, Western Nigeria, 1951-1953; Permanent Secretary, Eastern Region Ministries of Health, Commerce, Finance and Establishment, (1955-1959); Chief Secretary and Head of Eastern Nigeria Civil Service (1960-1966). He engaged in private legal practice from 1966 to 68, and later went on to consult for the Ford Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya.
The height of his foray into public service came in 1972 when the administration of Gen. Yakubu Gowon appointed him chairman, Public Service Review Commission. The mandates of the commission included a comprehensive review of the civil service in Nigeria.
The commission made far reaching recommendations such as an increase in the salaries of public servants, civil servants' training and a unified and integrated administrative structure, elimination of waste, removal of inefficient departments and the introduction of an efficient and cost-effective public service.
He is mostly remembered of course for the implementation of a very well-received, yet still controversial, civil service award scheme that came to bear his name; the Udoji Awards. Udoji passed on in 2010 at age 93 years. NNL.