Abiodun Essiet

Early life and education

Abiodun Essiet was born in Oyo Town, Oyo State, Nigeria, and grew up in Ibadan. She attended Ifeoluwa Nursery and Primary School and later Queens School, Ibadan, for her junior secondary education. She completed her secondary education at United Missionary Comprehensive College, Molete, Ibadan, where she obtained her Senior Secondary School Certificate in 2002.

In 2025, she obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in International Development from the University of International Business and Economics, Beijing.

Career

Professional career

Essiet has experience in community development, human rights, and gender advocacy, with a professional background in public service and politics.

She has been involved in efforts to promote Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Nigeria, working to address resistance and build support for this aspect of public health and education.Through her NGO, the Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls, she works to combat human trafficking, support vulnerable populations particularly women and girls and address sexual and gender-based violence in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Political career

Essiet transitioned from civil society activism to full-time politics in 2016, driven by a desire to bridge the significant gap between those in power and those governed at the local level.

In 2018, she contested for the Abuja Municipal Area Council elections for Councillorship in Orozo ward and Abuja Municipal Area Chairmanship Council election as AMAC Vice Chairman in 2022. Essiet was instrumental in driving numerous initiatives that strengthened the relationship between the government and various community stakeholders in her role.

In 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Essiet as Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement for the North Central Region of Nigeria As part of her commitment to community development, enhancing governance, and ensuring effective service delivery, she utilized her office to establish the Citizens' Assembly for the North Central Region in Nigeria, a platform facilitating citizen engagement and active participation in the governance process.

Speaking engagement

The International Mayors Forum in Dakar, Senegal The Annual Young Women's Political Leadership Summit in Zambia. African Women Leaders Forum (AWLF)

Personal life

Essiet is married to Late Brig Gen Victor Udoeka Essiet, and the couple has three children. Certificate in Advocacy - Increasing Citizen Voices and Agency, Coady International Institute, Canada. Mandela Washington Fellow.

Awards and recognition

Best Head of State Award, Model ECOWAS Summit, Ghana (2018).