Top 10 Most Influential Personalities from Cross River State, Nigeria

This post is stemmed at profiling the individuals who I believe are definitely the top personalities and they would however be divulged in no particular order:

(a) Kate-Henshaw Nuttal

This powerful lady has definitely carved a niche for herself in the hearts of Nigerians as a household name and a talented actress.

She was born on July 19, 1971 and is the eldest of four children(leading a pack of three children, no surprises she’s an action woman). She is also blessed with a daughter Gabrielle Nutall. She had her primary and secondary education in Lagos and Calabar respectively.

She studied medical microbiology at the School of medical science, Lagos state university and teaching hospital where she obtained a degree in medicine.

She later worked at Bauchi State General hospital. However, I guess she realized her true talent in 1993 when she auditioned for her first nollywood role ‘When the Sun Sets’ and well the rest you know as they say is history. From that period until now she has starred in over 40 movies(tv series inclusive).

Her talents have not gone unnoticed as she as bagged accolades to her name just to show how dominant she has been on the movie scene. She is also a beautiful singer and it was no surprise when she was appointed one of the judges of the talent show ‘Nigeria’s got talent’.

Apart from her acting roles in movies, she has also directed some movies too and runs a lot of other investments too. She is the most valuable actress in Nollywood with a net worth of 70million naira.

(b) Iyanya Mbok

Iyanya Onoyum Mbok is a recording artiste and songwriter. He gained prominence when he won the first edition of the Mtn Project fame in 2008.

He built on it however by releasing the hit track ‘Kukere’ with its scintillating dance moves. He became a sensation almost immediately and he gained national recognition.

He has three studio albums to his credit which are ‘My story’, Desire and the recently released ‘Applaudise’ which have all been huge successes.

He is also the co-owner of Made Men music with artistes like Tekno, Baci, Emma Nyra and Selebobo under the record label. He won the headies for best artiste in the year 2013.

(c) Senator Florence Ita-Giwa

She was born on 19th February 1946 in Atabong Bakassi, L.G.A, Cross river state. She had her tertiary education at Kilburn Polytechnic in London, United Kingdom.

She married the popular Dele-Giwa, founder of News watch and had a child for him named Koko. Her venture into politics began in 1992 under the platform of the NRC where not long after she became the chairman of the party she was elected member of the Federal House of Representatives till 1993.

However she gained prominence in the later period of the 1990s when she became actively involved in the Bakassi affairs, this in turn led to the nickname ‘Mama Bakassi’. In the year 1999 she was elected Senator or the Cross river south constituency under the flag of the All Peoples Party (APP) for a term.

(d) Nella-Andem Ewa SAN

She was born in London, she attended Holy Child college, Lagos and Cornelia Connelly college, Uyo.

She bagged a degree in English from the University of Lagos and went further to get a Law degree from University of Calabar and was later called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986.

She is also a chartered arbitrator. She was also the Attorney-General and Commissioner Justice of the state during the first term of Governor Donald Duke.

She was also a huge contributor in ensuring that the legal framework of the state was reshaped to cope with the changing trends in the tourism, agricultural and economic sectors.

She is also the first female lawyer in the state to be made a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (S.A.N).

(e) Victor Ndoma- Egba

Victor Ndoma Egba is a senator of the Federal republic of Nigeria. He was born in 8th March, 1956.

He hails from Ikom, Cross river state He got his Law degree from the University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978.

He went further to get an L.L.M from University of Calabar.

He held various offices before he became a senator and they include Chairman of the N.B.A, Calabar branch, Director of the Cross river Basin and Rural Development Authority and Honorable Commissioner for Works and Transport.

He began his senatorial career in the year 2003 under the flag of People’s Democratic Party for Cross river central and has retained the post for the past three terms.

(f) Isabella Ayuk

She was born in the year 1986 to a polygamous family in which she was the twentieth out of twenty-four children.

She studied Business administration at University of Calabar.

She was the representative of Cross river at the Mosy beautiful girl of Nigeria 2012 pageant.

She was the winner of the contest making her the first woman from the South-South to win it in a while.

She was also active in campaigns against typhoid during her reign.

(g) Shan George

Shan George was born on 21, April 1970 and is from Ediba, a town in Abi Local Government in Cross river state.

She studied Mass communication at University of Lagos and went on to produce her debut movie in her final year.

She is a household name as far as Nollywood is concerned with her career beginning as far back as 1996.

She is also a movie director and a musician. She released her studio album in 2010 and it was subject to positive reviews.

(h) Nicholas Agiabi Damachi

He was born on 16 March, 1953 and is from Obudu, Cross river state, Nigeria.

He bagged a degree in industrial engineering from Ohio state university in 1976 and got a masters from the same school in 1978 but this time in Systems engineering.

He later obtained his Doctorate degree in industrial engineering from University of Cincinnati.

He started out as a system engineer with Technical services Group of the Division of water in Ohio in the year 1977. He returned to Nigeria and joined the Civil service where he was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Federal

ministry of Education in the year 2006. He is presently the Permanent Secretary of the Nigerian Ministry of Defense. He was awarded the Officer of the Order of the Niger by the President of the Federal Republic.

(I.) Benedict Ayade

He is the incumbent Governor of Cross river state. He was born on 2, March 1969. He had his university education in three schools which are University of Ibadan, Ambrose Alli University and Delta state University.

After his university education, he went on to become a lecturer. He contested for a senatorial seat under the flag of PDP in the year 2011 in which he won by a wide margin with his opponent posing no real threat.

After his tenure had ended, he went on to contest for Governorship in the last elections and he emerged as winner in a landslide victory. He is also one of the youngest Governors in the country.

(j.) Donald Duke

He was the first Governor to rule Cross river state since the democratic dispensation began in Nigeria. He was born on 30 September, 1961.

He got his law degree from Ahmadu Bello university, Zaria and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1983. He went further to get his L.L.M from the University of Pennsylvania.

He was elected Governor of the state for two terms under the flagship of PDP from 1999 to 2007.

He made notable contribution to the immense growth of tourism in the state with the introduction of the Calabar carnival and the Tinapa resort which have seen a huge increase in the tourist influx in the state and Cross river arguably considered the home of tourism in Nigeria.

Your Thought!

Do you know any other influential Personality from Cross River State who is nor listed here? If yes. let’s know about them and their legacies in the comments section below.

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