Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa was born on the 8th Of July, 1959 at Owa-Alero in the present Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State.
He had his early education at the Iroro primary school, Owa-Alero and later attended the famous Edo College, Benin City between 1970 and 1976.
He graduated with the second best result in the Higher School Certificate Examination in the then Bendel State in 1976.
Thereafter, he proceeded to the University of Ibadan to study Medicine and Surgery, where he graduated in 1981 with MBBS, at the record age of 22. Upon completion of the National Youth Service Corps in 1982; he worked briefly with the defunct Bendel State Hospitals Management Board as a Medical Officer before he went into private practice as Director, Victory Medical Centre, Igbanke in 1986.
He went on to open another branch at Boji-Boji, Owa.
Okowa became Secretary to the Ika Local Government and then Chairman of the Ika North-East Local Government Council (1991–1993). He was Delta North Coordinator of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM).
He joined the PDP in 1998, and assisted in Governor James Ibori’s campaign in 1998/1999. He served as a Commissioner in the Delta State government for Agriculture and Natural Resources (July 1999 – April 2001), Water Resources Development (April 2001 – May 2003) and Health (September 2003 – October 2006).
Okowa resigned to contest in the 2007 Delta State PDP governorship primaries, but did not win the governorship primaries.
In June 2007, Ifeanyi was appointed Secretary to the Delta state Government.
Ifeanyi was elected Delta North Senatorial candidate in the January 2011 PDP primaries with 942 votes, but the result was challenged by party leaders who favoured Marian Amaka Alli as candidate.
He was re-elected in a rerun where he scored 1,446 votes, against 108 votes for Dr. Marian Alli.
In the April 2011 election for the Delta North Senatorial seat, Ifeanyi won 98,140 votes, ahead of runner up Prince Ned Munir Nwoko of the Democratic People’s Party, who won 67,985 votes. It was reported that there was still tension regarding the election in January 2013. Ifeanyi finally clinched the ticket for the gubernatorial election in 2015 under the PDP with 406 votes on 8 December 2014.
He won the Delta State Gubernatorial elections 2015 in April 2015 with 724,680 votes. He was inaugurated as Governor on 29 May 2015 and have since then resumed active duties. In the March 9, 2019 Governorship election, Okowa, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, got 925,274 votes to defeat his opponent, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Great Ogboru, who garnered, 215,938 votes.
As a sitting governor of Delta State in 2020, He established University of Delta in his home town Agbor. He also set up University of Science and Technology in Uzoro and Dennis Osadebe University in Anwai all in Delta State
Senator (Dr.) Okowa Ifeanyi Arthur has previously been a Secretary to the Delta State Government and a Commissioner for Health.
Senator (Dr.) Okowa Ifeanyi Arthur’s mission statement in office was to integrate Delta North into National Development and to contribute towards good governance in Nigeria.
Dr. Okowa’s humanitarian and philanthropic disposition over the years endeared him to his people as he often rendered free medical services to the poor in his community. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa displays highly developed craftsmanship in his approach to work and challenges and this is evident in his constructive leadership and in his growing political profile.