Mrs. Iphigenia Efunjoke Coker was born on the 29^th of September, 1924 to Mr. and Mrs. Bankole Soluade of No. 118, Bamgbose Street, Lagos.

In January 1929, at the age of three, she started infant schooling at St. Mary’s Convent School, Broad Street. After St. Mary’s, she attended St. Theresa’s High School for a year, and later St. Agnes’s Teacher Training College. She attended Queen’s College from January 1941 to December 1942.

She taught Mathematics, Geography, and Yoruba at St. Theresa’s High School in Lagos and Ibadan, and at St. Agnes’s in Lagos from 1943 to 1949.

From 1952 to 1956, she attended the National University in Dublin (aka University College Dublin), Ireland, obtaining Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and English, and a Master’s degree in English.

Back in Nigeria, she taught at Queen’s School, Ede and Government College, Ibadan, and then took up a posting to Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos as Vice Principal in 1962. She became the first Nigerian (and youngest) Principal of Queen’s College in 1963 and voluntarily retired from there in 1977 after fourteen years as Principal.

In 1979, she was conferred with the national award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by General Olusegun Obasanjo for her immense contribution in the field of education as “a dedicated teacher, moral tutor, respected educationist, and a pace-setter in the emancipation of Nigerian womanhood”.

In retirement, she contributed as Member of the Advisory  Council of the University of Ibadan, President of the Lagos State Red Cross Society for eight years, Member of the Directorate of the National Youth Service Corps, Member of Council of Yola Polytechnic, and was President of Zonta International Club of Lagos from 1982 to 1984.

In 2017, she was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree in educational management from the Federal University Oye-Ekiti

Mrs. Coker enjoyed music, films, and, until old age caught up with her, travelling. She has travelled to countries in all the continents: North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australasia and Asia.