Chairman of the Foundation for Economic Research and Training and former Director General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, Professor Akpan Hogan Ekpo, who is also the erstwhile Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo has led a very interesting life of academic activism which has gotten him into trouble with the authorities sometimes, writes TIMOTHY AGBOR
Friends and associates of Professor Akpan Hogan Ekpo, the egghead who has attained world acclaim for exploits in Economics and Public Policy, gathered recently to honour him on his 69th birthday at the University of Uyo.
The subject of discourse was deliberately chosen to reflect his lifelong struggle and career choices that he has made. The gathering of eminent personalities centred on, ‘Protest Matters: The Effect of Protest in Economic Redistribution.’
Coming at a time when President Bola Tinubu’s removal of subsidy on fuel had led to hardship on the populace, which compelled protests by the central labour movement, it provided a stimulating discourse from those who opined that organized labour had failed for deploying the same method of protest too often.
Others held that without protests, the authorities were not willing to create a more conducive environment for economic redistribution and growth.
A third school of thought posited that protests are often hijacked by hoodlums who unleash terrible destruction on private and government-owned property.
Ekpo, a household name on issues of economy and public policy both in Nigeria and globally, listened with rapt attention to the lead lecture delivered by Prof. Emmanuel Onwioduokit of the Department of Economics, University of Uyo.
The event, which was held inside the precinct of the Prof. Akpan Hogan Ekpo Centre for Public Policy, University of Uyo, was chaired by Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Russia, His Excellency, Assam Assam (SAN).
Ekpo, a thoroughbred academic, economist and financial expert started his interesting life of activism as a student at Howard University in the United States of America. Sitting beside him at the lecture in his honour was his Kenyan-born wife, Njeri.
A veteran of struggles, Ekpo was sent away from his teaching job at the University of Abuja for being the arrowhead of protests for better conditions of service for lecturers. His principled obstinacy led to a period of detention by the regime of late Head of State, Sani Abacha.
The choice of the topic to x-ray Ekpo’s impactful life of activism was made by Prof. Belinda Archibong, a United States of America-based Assistant Professor of Economics at Barnard College, Columbia University, who admires Ekpo’s catalogue of achievements.
The Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, who is living a fruitful life owing to his many success stories in his fields of endeavours, is at present the Chairman of the Foundation for Economic Research and Training in Lagos.
He was the Director General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management in Lagos, a position he held from May 2009 to December 2018.
Professor Ekpo believes so much in hard work and his consistency in just and right things has fetched him goodwill, respect and so much honour in Nigeria and beyond. For this scholar, being consistent in whatever he sets his mind to do has been a major plus in his life as well as his striving for merit and excellence at all times.
This illustrious indigene of Ikot Obio Eka in Etinan Local Government of Area of Akwa Ibom State embodies talents and brilliance since his childhood and these rare qualities drew the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria who offered him a scholarship to attend university in the United States of America.
Ekpo attended the prestigious Howard University in Washington, DC where he received Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts degrees in Economics in 1976 and 1978 respectively. He also attended Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois under the American Economic Association Fellowship Award in 1975. In 1983, he obtained a PhD in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He started his lecturing career at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina from 1981 to 1983. He returned to Nigeria in 1983. From 1983 to 1989, he was a lecturer at the University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria where he quickly rose up the ranks becoming a Senior Lecturer in 1987.
From 1990 to 1992, Ekpo was a visiting professor, Department of Economics, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe. He was an Associate Professor and Head, Department of Economics, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria from January to July, 1992. In February 1992, he became Professor, Department of Economics, University of Abuja.
Professor Ekpo became the dean of Faculty of Management Sciences of the university in July 1992. In September 1994, Ekpo returned to his home state of Akwa Ibom where he became the Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Uyo.
In 1997, he became the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences. In 1999, he was appointed the Deputy Vice-chancellor of the University of Uyo. He was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo in May 2000. He held this position until May 24, 2005. In May 2009, he was appointed the Director General of WAIFEM and he held this position until December 2018.
As an economist, his passion is not just solving economic riddles but also carrying people along on the path of success. He is not only a doyen of economics but has distinguished himself as an administrator per excellence whose leadership qualities have brought about dynamism and transformation in his past and present assignments.
He has advised and is still churning out deep insights and panacea to all levels of government (local government, state and federal) in Nigeria, especially as it regards the way out from the economic conundrum the nation finds itself presently.
Ekpo holds the opinion that Nigeria remains vulnerable to external shocks.
He said, “The economy has yet to sufficiently diversify, making it susceptible to another drop in crude prices.”
For the financial guru, “The pervasiveness of policy reversals introduces uncertainty for investors and it is one of the main issues currently affecting both the predominance of hot money and the lack of domestic investment. As such, it is essential to foster an environment more conducive to attracting stable investment flows to Nigeria.”
Between 1996 and 1999, he was Chairman, Ministerial Advisory Committee, Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja. He was Technical Adviser to the Vision 2010 Committee.
He was also Editor of the Prestigious Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies from 1997 – 2003. He serves in various government boards and boards of companies.
Professor Ekpo has written five books and edited three. His latest book, ‘Nigeria: A Resource Rich Economy in Disarray,’ was published by the University of Lagos Press. He has published over 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals, chapters in books and other research outlets.
“The pervasiveness of policy reversals introduces uncertainty for investors and it is one of the main issues currently affecting both the predominance of hot money and the lack of domestic investment. As such, it is essential to foster an environment more conducive to attracting stable investment flows to Nigeria”
His papers have appeared in World Development, Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies, South African Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, West African Journal of Economic Integration, West African Economic and Financial Review.
He was once Chairman, Ministerial Advisory Committee, Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja from 1994-98; a Non-Executive Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Member of its Monetary Policy Committee, 2005-2009.
He was Technical Advisor to the Vision 2010; member of the Steering Committee to Vision 20:2020; member of the Economic and Recovery Growth Committee and has participated at various federal and state governments policy-making committees in Nigeria.
Ekpo was once the Chairman of Akwa Ibom Investment and Industrial Promotion Council, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
He has served in various government boards and boards of companies, notably the Utilities Commission in Abuja and the Central Bank of Nigeria (2004–09). He was also a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (2004–09).
In recognition of his excellent contributions to Nigeria, Ekpo was conferred with the National Productivity Order of Merit Award by the President of Nigeria in 2002.
Ekpo was a member of the National Economic Management team in Abuja, member of the Steering Committee of Vision 2020 and a former President of the Nigerian Economic Society.
He belongs to several professional associations such as the Nigerian Economic Society, American Economic Association, Royal Economic Society in the United Kingdom, African Finance and Economic Association, International Institute for Public Finance, Nigerian Statistical Association, among others. He is a member of the Board of the African Institute for Applied Economics, and the Clement Isong Foundation in Nigeria.
He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Economic Society.
Among other plethora of awards and honours bestowed on Professor Ekpo for his giant strides in his diverse careers are his Commendation by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for satisfactory performance as Vice-chancellor, University of Uyo, 2000–2005.
He also bagged “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 1975.”
Ekpo was selected as an Outstanding Young Man Of America, 1977 and he clinched Dr. Kwame Nkrumah African Leadership Award 2003, Accra, Ghana.
This Professor of Economics and Public Policy is by every standard a think-tank, especially in the economic landscape. He has launched the Prof. Akpan Hogan Ekpo Centre for Public Policy which is a platform that would galvanize ideas in ensuring solid policies that would bring succour to the society.
