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In this piece, The Witness Nigeria examines the biography, family, career and life story of Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development of Nigeria.
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Full Name: John Owan Enoh
Date of Birth: 4 June 1966
State of Origin: Cross-River State.
Religion: Christian
Biography
Enoh was born and raised in Agbokim Waterfall community of Cross River State. He is a Nigerian politician, farmer and philanthropist who is the current minister of Sports Development of Nigeria. He is married to Rachel Owan-Enoh and has three children with her; Rachel, John Jr. and Victor. He is a football and lawn tennis enthusiast.
Educational Career of John Enoh
He graduated from the University of Calabar in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology (2nd Class Upper Division), and was the best graduating student of his set. He has attended several courses at home and abroad on capacity building in aid of his legislative work.
These include a course in ‘Public Financial Management’, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University (Executive Education), ‘Telecoms Regulatory Master Class’ – Bath UK , ‘Law Making for the Communication Sectors’ – BMIT, Johannesburg, South Africa and ‘Influence and Negotiation’, Stanford Graduate School of Business ,amongst others. Sen. Enoh is a fellow, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, CEPACS, University of Ibadan.
He was also listed as one of Nigeria’s 50 most Outstanding Legislative Icons (1999 – 2010) in a definitive book published by Parlia Consult, a Consortium of Legislative Historians. He holds an Msc (Hons) Demography, Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), and MBA.
Enoh returned to the University of Calabar in the same department he was awarded best graduating student, he served as a lecturer between 1991 and 1997 and went on to bag an M.Sc (Demography), a PGDM, and an MBA degree.
Professional Career of John Enoh
In 2003, Enoh got elected to the House of Representatives on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, where he served in the 5th, 6th and 7th Houses. During his first term, he served as deputy chairman, House Committee on Culture & Tourism (2003-2005) and deputy chairman, House Committee on Appropriation (2005-2007). In his second term, he was chairman, House Committee on Finance (2007-2011). He chaired the Committee on Appropriation in his third term (2011-2015).
He got elected to represent Cross River Central Senatorial District and served in the 8th Senate (2015-2019) as chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance. In 2017, he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the floor of the Nigerian Senate and was the party’s Governorship candidate for Cross River State in 2019.
He was a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) up until May 2017 when he decamped to the ruling All progressive Congress (APC) and contested for governorship and lost to incumbent governor Ben Ayade.
He was appointed minister of Sports Development by President Bola Tinubu on 16 August 2023.
Besides politics, Enoh owns numerous farms where he conducts arable and livestock production. Farming venture he started in 2000 has as at 2021 cultivated about 2000 hectares of cultivated lands. Enoh’s farm spreads across various parts of Cross River State. About 150 hectares of planted palms in his native Agbokim Waterfalls; and expanding to about 100 hectares of planted palms, and counting, at Etara-Ekuri. All communities in Etung LGA of Cross River State, where the politician hails.
Enoh is said to operate an out-grower scheme in communities where his farms are located. The out-grower scheme is a corporate social responsibility scheme that empowers local small scale farmers with arable and livestock to grow in their farms and later provides them with the market to sell these products.
Meanwhile, Enoh runs a philanthropy including founding a foundation tagged JOE (John Owan Enoh) Foundation where he provides help for people living with diabetes in Nigeria.
Net worth
His net worth was not revealed.
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