[10][11] Nwokolo was born on Tuesday, 19 April 1921 – at Amaimo, now located in Imo State: Nigeria, where his parents worked for Church Missionary Society as evangelists.
[12][13][14] Nwokolo started primary school at Ezinihitte-Mbaise in today's Imo State, and then proceeded to Government College Umuahia.
Nwokolo qualified as a medical doctor in 1946, and consequently got the LMS: Licenciate of the School of Medicine.and won the Walter Johnson prize in public health.
[18] Nwokolo worked in the department of medicine at the University College Hospital from 1949 to 1950, and subsequently proceeded to London, uplifted with a professional letter of recommendation from professor Alexander Brown.
[19] Arriving in England in 1950, he studied at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, and worked in medicine and surgery house jobs in Dover, becoming qualified to register and practice in Great Britain.
He returned to Nigeria – as a specialist in internal medicine – just on time for his marriage to Njideka Priscilla Nwokolo: née: Okonkwo – on Saturday 4 July 1953.
In addition, working with the Rockefeller Foundation, Professor Brown recommended Nwokolo for a research fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Minnesota.
Nwokolo led research on various gastro-intestinal problems using intestinal biopsies and procedures he learnt in the United States at University of Minnesota.
[26][27] In 1966, before the Nigerian civil war with Biafra broke out in 1967, with hostilities and killing of Igbo people rising, Nwokolo left Ibadan for Enugu with his wife and children.
At the meeting were doctors: Nwokolo, Onuaguluchi, Udekwu, Nwako, Nwachukwu, Eziashi, Ikeme, Udeh, Ogan, Uche, Okoro, Kaine, Udeozor, Okafor, Njoku-Obi, Ifekwunigwe, and others.
[28] Nwokolo continued to work as head of the department of medicine of the university teaching hospital which had moved to Awka-Etiti when Enugu was threatened during the civil war.
[citation needed] When the Nigerian Civil War ended in 1970, Nwokolo and family returned to Enugu, and found their house looted and the top floor completely razed by fire.
[citation needed] With the approval of the Nigerian Federal Government for the re-opening of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nwokolo returned to his position as head of the department of medicine.
Accordingly, renowned Welsh academic, professor Eldryd Parry, who previously served at University College Hospital, Ibadan from 1960, affirms that Nwokolo led and facilitated the establishment of medical schools in Enugu and Nsukka.
[38] Nwokolo had a Licentiate from the Royal College of Physicians of London, honorary doctor of science from the University of Maiduguri plus another honorary doctor of science from the University of Ibadan; and was a professor emeritus at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigerian National Order of Merit Award-winner, national chairman and vice-president at West African College of Physicians, pro-chancellor and chairman of council at Ahmadu Bello University; chairman at Medical Research Council of Nigeria, chairman: governing board at National Council for Medical Research, president at Association of Physicians of Nigeria and Ugo-Dibia: Eagle of Medicine.