By Tobi Ajayi
Udom Gabriel Emmanuel is a name that rings a bell in Nigeria’s banking sector. The soft-speaking man joined the banking industry in the 1990s and, through hard work, dedication to duties and continuous learning and personal development succeeded in etching his name in the sand of time as one of the few who had a blemish-free career — a robust tower of inspiration for many in the sector and beyond.
With thorough training at the prestigious PriceWaterhouseCoopers, where he eventually served as an audit leader, Emmanuel made his mark at the defunct Diamond Bank. He then joined one of Nigeria’s tier 1 banks, Zenith Bank, in 1996 as the pioneer manager of its Lagos central branch. He would later be in charge of the Telecommunications Sector, Income Optimization and Financial & Strategic Planning Group of the bank.
The chartered accountant would later become the chief financial officer and an executive director of Zenith Bank Plc. The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria associate also later served as the group head of Income Optimization, Financial Control & Strategic Planning Department at the bank.
The diligent Emmanuel positioned himself strategically wherever he served and, of course, it is common knowledge that rising to these positions in a competitive sector like the banking industry is no fluke.
So, when he resigned from his position at Zenith Bank in 2013 to join public governance, Nigerians and, indeed, the people of Akwa knew that something exceptionally great would happen to Akwa Ibom. That same year, he was appointed the secretary to the State Government — a position he used immediately to deploy his deep understanding of administration and management acumen to governance, and within a short time, unbelievable results started rolling in.
Indeed, a goldfish has no hiding place. The people of Akwa Ibom saw the great job he had done and the potential of attaining greater heights with him at the helm of affairs and overwhelmingly trooped to the polls in 2015, ditched other contestants and elected him governor of the state. It wouldn’t be argued in many quarters that the state and the people of Akwa Ibom are better off: the state has witnessed its best developmental and revolutionalising five years since its creation over three decades ago.
Governor Emmanuel has received accolades and awards for the industrialisation and massive development he has brought to the state. On March 18, 2017, he was given the 2016 Leadership Award for Best Governor of the Year. Eight months later, his giant strides in sports were recognised with the prestigious award of Nigeria Sports Governor of the Year. Beyond these, he has received many other awards within Nigeria and outside the shores of Nigeria.
Great leaders shine when others shy from responsibilities; they turn challenges to opportunities to better the world. It is not debatable that 2020 was a debilitating year; a year that saw many leaders falter and just a few like Governor Udom stand tall. While he carried out his responsibility of steering Akwa Ibom to greatness with his usual passion, many watched and took note. So, when he was announced The Sun Man of the Year 2020, even his acrid critics nodded and then clapped in ovation, even though they couldn’t physically stand up. There is no debate on if he deserved the award; it was very obvious.
The Sun Awards is one of the most prestigious awards in Nigeria which recognises individuals who have been exceptionally outstanding and the man of the year category is seen as one of the most prestigious of categories. The award has survived 17 years, evolving into an annual ritual that gathers the crème de la crème of the Nigerian society. The selection process is rigorous, fact-based and totally objective.
The selection of Governor Emmanuel didn’t fall short of the standards. Some analysts argue that even if the standards were raised a notch higher than usual, the governor would have still made the cut. A curious observer would notice the specific areas of interest the organisers mentioned while announcing the governor winner of the award: agriculture, health, aviation, sports, infrastructure and industrialisation.
While it is common knowledge that these sectors have witnessed tremendous growth and turnaround, it would be safe to give just a few examples.
Aviation
The aviation sector all over the world has a massive market. Statistics show that the global aviation market is worth over $838 billion, as of 2019, having grown at a compound annual growth rate of around 5.3 per cent between 2009 and 2019. Although it dropped to about $686 billion in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak, it is projected to rebound to about $776.86 billion this year.
Even though there is a dearth of data on the actual worth of the aviation market in Nigeria, a recent report on the economic and social impact of aviation entitled ‘Aviation: The Real World Wide Web’, by Oxford Economics revealed that the sector contributed about $10 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria and other African countries in 2020. The figure is regardless of the global economic meltdown that has taken a toll on the industry. Yes, it is that big.
Governor Emmanuel had this market in mind as a seasoned investment banker when he rolled up his sleeves to begin massive investment in Ibom Air which is now touted as the pride of the nation. The Akwa Ibom owned airline has grown from a small startup which started in June 2019 — which naysayers never thought would become successful — to the toast of airline passengers. Ibom Air now flies four routes and will soon commence flight to new routes, chief operating officer, George Uriesi, said in a recent interview with Forbes.
The five 90-seat Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets in the fleet of Ibom Air would have been scaled up by two more after additional two were procured by the state government, if not for the impacts of the Coronavirus.
With the support of the state government, Ibom Air would soon expand to the rest of Africa, especially West Africa, Uriesi said. “We will start with some of the nearby destinations like Accra, like Libreville in Gabon, like Douala in Cameroon. We will do that with the CRJs.”
The Emmanuel-led administration’s long-term strategy is for Uyo to become a semi-hub, offering one-stop connections from coastal Central African countries to Lagos, Abuja and other points in West Africa. Inbound flows would primarily come from countries with poor connectivity, such as Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon and São Tomé and Príncipe, he told Forbes.
As this goes on, hundreds of direct and indirect employment would be provided, not just for the people of Akwa Ibom, but for Nigerians and Africans at large. Akwa Ibom to the world.
Industrialisation
From the onset of the Emmanuel led administration, industrialisation has been given a pivotal place. Investments have been made. Results have shown and are continually popping up. Jobs have been provided. And the people are happy.
The state government has brought to stream more than 18 functional industries in the state. For example, there is Greenwell Fertilizer blending company with a production capacity of 400,000 metric tons per annum. The firm produces assorted kinds of fertilizers for different soil types.
There is Kings Flour mill and the Ufani Palm Kernel Crushing Plant in Ukanafun;
the plastic, toothpick, pencils and the quality ceramics and tissue production factories in Itu.
There is also the Ibom Industrial Park/Jetty at the Ikot Abasi coastal area of the state; Cassava processing mills in Abak and Ibesikpo-Asutan; oil palm processing depots, power and gas processing plant in Ibeno and the ongoing Ibom Deep Seaport. The $4.2 billion seaport project will be a game-changer not just for the state’s economy but for the country’s.
There is also a massive Coconut Oil Factory in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of the state. The factory has the capacity to generate about 1,500 direct jobs and indirect jobs of about the same figures for the people of the state. It is also expected to contribute about $200 million in IGR to the state.
This list is in no way exhaustive as some of the factories are located in far-flung communities where they employ locals and carry on their activities without much attention and noise.
Agriculture
Many experts have called the agric sector the next goldmine. The sector is estimated to have contributed approximately 22 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP as of the first quarter (Q1) of 2020. It is also the largest employer in Nigeria, employing more than 36 per cent of the labour force. The Emmanuel led government is tapping greatly into this. Youths are now embracing agriculture in the state because the government has made it attractive. Support programmes have been implemented in communities, fertilisers have been provided, youths have been trained in the latest agric practices, improved seeds have been supplied to farmers and modern farm implements have been provided for farmers.
The state government is wittingly not focusing on a particular segment alone, it is tapping hugely into the entire agric value chain. For example, agro-processing industries are being set up. Factories that manufacture products needed in farms like fertilisers have been set up. Factories that offtake agric products have been established too, like huge rice mills — the Ibom Agricon Rice mill, producing the Family Rice and the SACAM Afro Processing Rice Mill, producing the Three Rose Rice alongside the 33 cassava micro-processing mills spluttered around the state.
It is a holistic, systemic approach.
Health
Health is, no doubt, wealth. Only a healthy population gives rise to an economically prosperous nation. Investment in health by the Emmanuel led government is glaring and has been yielding very positive results.
Here are a few examples of the investments in health in the state: the reconstruction of General Hospital, Ituk Mbang, and General Hospital, Ikot Okoro; the construction of an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Ikot Ekpene.
Immanuel General Hospital, Eket, has been remodelled and equipped. The hospital has been digitized to cater to healthcare challenges in line with the current times. It has been equipped with the most modern intensive care unit facilities; the General Hospitals at Ikot Abasi and Ikot Ekpene are being remodelled.
General Hospital, Etinan, has been reconstructed and equipped with the latest medical equipment. General Hospital, Ikono, has not just been reconstructed but state-of-the-art medical equipment has been installed in the hospital.
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and Electrocardiograph (ECG) machines for use in emergency response (now fitted in ambulances) have been procured by the state government; services have been restored at Ibom Specialist Hospital and new management, CLINOTECH Group Canada, has been engaged for the hospital. An oxygen plant for supply of oxygen to hospitals in the state has been constructed at Ikot Ekpene.
Again, this list is in no way exhaustive. It is just a snapshot of what the state government is doing in the health sector.
With the milestones Governor Udom Emmanuel has achieved — most of which couldn’t be mentioned in this piece — since taking over the mantle of leadership of Nigeria’s largest oil-producing state, yes, as a debutant in public service politics, it is no surprise that he was recognised and awarded The Sun Man of the Year 2020. A goldfish, indeed, has no hiding place.