Finding X In The Kitchen: Prof. Njoseh Reimagines Mathematics At DELSU 118th Inaugural Lecture

By Akpobomeh Oghenerukevwe

The 118th Inaugural Lecture of Delta State University, Abraka, broke new ground as Professor Ignatius Nkonyeasua Njoseh of the Department of Mathematics delivered the first-ever inaugural lecture from the department, offering a refreshing, relatable, and intellectually engaging take on numerical analysis. As he mounted the podium , he did not begin with intimidating equations or abstract symbols. Instead, he invited his audience into a place everyone understands intimately: the kitchen.

Titled “Finding X Amid the Problems in My Kitchen: My Career as a Numerical Analyst,” the lecture masterfully blended rigorous scholarship, humour, and everyday experience to demystify a field often perceived as abstract and distant.

Professor Njoseh argued that human beings have always been “finding X” long before mathematics was formally codified.

From measuring food portions and budgeting salaries to resolving family conflicts and navigating leadership challenges, life itself is filled with unknowns. Numerical analysis, he explained, did not invent these problems but rather provided a systematic framework for understanding and solving them.

Using the kitchen as a central metaphor, he described it as a living laboratory where estimation, approximation, iteration, and error correction occur daily. According to him, every cook is unknowingly a numerical analyst, constantly adjusting salt, heat, and timing until balance is achieved.

Unlike errors on paper, he observed, mistakes in the kitchen cannot be hidden. A burnt pot or over-salted soup announces itself instantly, making the kitchen the most honest laboratory of all.

The lecture highlighted approximation as the very essence of numerical analysis and, indeed, of everyday life. From Nigerians promising “five minutes” that stretch indefinitely, to tailors whose delivery dates are famously elastic, Professor Njoseh illustrated how society routinely operates within “close-enough” solutions rather than perfect answers.

He further explained the three pillars of numerical analysis, stability, convergence, and efficiency,relating them seamlessly to cooking, relationships, and leadership. Unstable methods, he warned, lead to failure; lack of convergence breaks relationships; and inefficiency burdens individuals and institutions alike.

Beyond the kitchen, Professor Njoseh demonstrated how numerical analysis underpins engineering design, medical simulations, economic forecasting, and climate prediction. Yet, he repeatedly returned to familiar domestic scenes, frying plantain, cooling soup, salt diffusion, food spoilage, and even the sharing of meat at family gatherings,to show how mathematics quietly governs everyday life.

The lecture was also rich in moments of gratitude and recognition. Professor Njoseh acknowledged the special appearance of dignitaries and loved ones, including the Obi of Owa-Oyibu, HRH His Royal Majesty, Dr. Emmanuel Efeizomor II; his mother; his mother- and father-in-law; and his beloved secondary school maths  teacher, whom he fondly described as having “never aged.”

He further recognized the presence of past Vice-Chancellors of the university, Professors Peretomode, Arubayi, and Andy Egwuyenga, alongside the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ogheneovo Asagba. Also in attendance were principal officers of the university, a wide array of professors, senior lecturers, colleagues, students, and friends, all of whom added colour and gravitas to the historic occasion.

In his concluding reflections, Professor Njoseh urged academics, teachers and instructors to take research beyond intimidating equations and closed journals, insisting that scholarship must touch real lives and address real problems.

Ultimately, he reminded the audience that mathematics is not merely about symbols and theories; it is about survival, decision-making, and balance. As he memorably put it, mathematics does not only solve equations, it cooks dinner.

In his goodwill remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ogheneovo Samuel Asagba, after congratulating the inaugural lecturer, described Professor Njoseh as hardworking, disciplined, and exceptionally organized, qualities he noted were evident not only in his academic journey but also in the clarity, structure, and originality of the lecture delivered.