Umo Eno: An Industrialist and his Mission for Akwa Ibom
After several weeks of intrigues and permutations by the stakeholders in Akwa Ibom political space, one person has been shortlisted by Governor Udom Emmanuel as his successor; Pst. Umo Eno, the current Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources.
While Umo Eno may be new to the political scene, he has been an active player in the business and economic space having worked in top corporations before venturing into private enterprise, and his business ventures have become a household name in the state and its environs.
One of the challenges of the oil rich Akwa Ibom state, amidst it’s small population is the lack of industries and it’s attendant high unemployment rate as majority of the state’s population are engaged by the government’s civil service. This explains why the state is popularly known and seen as a civil service state.
It is this challenge that successive governments have tried to tackle in boosting the state’s economic outlook through micro industrial schemes, and Umo Eno according to Governor Udom Emmanuel possess the skills and experience to consolidate on projects initiated by the state government towards industrialization.
The governor who recently made his position known while commissioning Spectrum Television, the first private cable television station in the state on why he prefers the Lands and Water Resources Commissioner as his successor stated that; “Let me say this emphatically, I mean well for this State, that is why I waited for God to show me the man who would continue with the pace of developmental strides we have started in the last six plus years and then move the needle even further.
“Pastor Umo Eno is a highly respected person; he has enormous capacity, is an epitome of humility, and is blessed with the common touch, a compelling story and is God- fearing.
“He is a successful entrepreneur who has employed our people, lifted thousands from poverty to prosperity.
“He will be coming to the office of Governor with an economic blueprint that will further guarantee employment, development, and economic prosperity for our people.
“He is a man of peace and will ensure that the peace and security of life we have enjoyed in the last six plus years will be maintained. His life story resonates with the story of most ordinary Akwa Ibom people,” he stated.
According to the governor, Eno’s story is inspiring as he only reached success in business through hard work, overcoming difficulties to become an entrepreneur and one of the biggest employers of labour in the state with over 500 people working in his organization.
The government of Udom Emmanuel has been able to build on the promise by past administrations to make the state economically viable through cottage industries like the Coconut refinery which is projected to process one million coconuts a day when it comes on full stream.
Some other cottage industries set up by Governor Emmanuel include the Kings Flour Mill, the Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company, Lion Plywood/Timber Manufacturing Company, the Rice mills, Metering Solutions Company among others.
It is expected that with Eno’s experience in setting up and growing his enterprise from scratch to the top, he will be able to consolidate on Governor Udom Emmanuel’s completion agenda whose main thrust is to make Akwa Ibom a major investment destination in Nigerian and within the gulf of Guinea.
Pastor Umo Eno’s Business Background.
Pastor Umo Eno has a strong background in business and started his career in 1982 with the Union Bank of Nigeria and moved to Bertola Machine Tools in 1985.
After a stint with Bertola, he moved to Norman Holdings Limited in 1990 where he rose to the position of the Group General Manager, Commercial Services in 1997.
Later in 1997, he founded the Royalty Hotels & Recreations Limited Group, a small business which has grown over the years into a big player with a diversified portfolio in hospitality, information and communication technology (ICT), manufacturing, oil and gas etc.
Public Service
In recognition of his contribution to the tourism industry in Nigeria, Akwa Ibom’s former Governor, Obong Victor Attah appointed him in 2004 as the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom Hotels and Tourism Board, where he helped standardize the hospitality business in the state until he bowed out in 2007.
Pst.Umo Eno is also a contributor to society and human development and is a two-time Paul Haris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Eket District 9140.
To broaden his horizon, Pst. Umo Eno attended management programmes at the prestigious Lagos Business School of the Pan-African University in Lagos.
He is also a recipient of the National Productivity Award and a Fellow of Nigerian Catering & Hotel Institute (FNCHI).
With such an amazing profile, it is expected that Eno will deliver more value for Akwa Ibom people by building on the completion agenda through industrialization and making the state, a preferred investment destination in Nigeria.
Whilst Akwa Ibom state has a huge array of citizens who are not just constitutionally qualified, but have excelled in their businesses and careers around the world, the state needs someone with a midas touch and who has been part of the current system to drive the agenda of industrialization forward.
While BUA Group is setting up it’s 200,000-b/d grassroots integrated refining and petrochemical complex under development in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom state, many others are at various stages of business incubation life cycle from feasibility studies to finance etc which are expected to create jobs and bring direct impact on the local economy when they are completed.
A governor with a trademark of setting up and growing new business will be able to understand the challenges faced by investors and provide enabling environment and policies to enable businesses thrive.
And among the current aspirants, Umo Eno has a fair balance of private and public sector experience and network to ensure that the plans to make Akwa Ibom a competitive business destination in Nigeria is a reality, with the ripple effect being more jobs for the people, more internally generated revenue to make the state’s economy less dependent on oil, infrastructure and equal opportunities for all.
