Akpan Hogan Ekpo
Akpan Hogan Ekpo | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 26, 1954 Lagos, Nigeria |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, academic |
| Known for | Emeritus Professor of Economics and Public Policy at University of Uyo; former Director General of WAIFEM; former Vice-Chancellor of University of Uyo; former director at Central Bank of Nigeria |
Akpan Hogan Ekpo (born 26 June 1954) is a distinguished Nigerian economist and academic, currently holding the title of Emeritus Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. He leads the Foundation for Economic Research and Training (FERT) based in Lagos and was the Director General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) from May 2009 until December 2018. Ekpo has also served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo and held a directorial position at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Early life
Ekpo was born in Lagos to Hogan Ekpo Etuknwa and Deaconess Affiong Harrison Hogan Ekpo, being the firstborn among four siblings originating from Ikot Obio Eka in Akwa Ibom State. His early education took place at Anglican Isoko Primary School and United Christian Secondary School, both located in Lagos. Following his secondary schooling, he was awarded a Federal Government scholarship that enabled him to pursue higher education in the United States.
Career
Ekpo earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from Howard University in 1976 and 1978 respectively. In 1975, he attended Northwestern University supported by an American Economic Association Fellowship, and later achieved his PhD in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983.
He began his academic career lecturing at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University between 1981 and 1983 before returning to Nigeria. From 1983 to 1989, Ekpo was part of the faculty at the University of Calabar, where he was promoted to Senior Lecturer by 1987. Between 1990 and 1992, he held a visiting professorship at the University of Zimbabwe. In 1992, he was appointed professor and head of the Economics Department at the University of Abuja, subsequently taking on the role of Dean of Management Sciences.
In 1994, Ekpo returned to Akwa Ibom State to lead the Economics Department at the University of Uyo. He advanced to Dean of Social Sciences in 1997, then Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 1999, before serving as Vice-Chancellor from May 2000 through May 2005. From 2009 until 2018, he directed WAIFEM as its Director General.
With over 200 scholarly publications including journal articles and books, Ekpo has also provided consultancy services for numerous national and international bodies such as Nigeria’s National Planning Commission, The World Bank, IMF, Economic Commission for Africa, African Economic Research Consortium, Global Network (India), and Forum of Federations (Canada). He has offered guidance to all tiers of Nigerian government and chaired the Ministerial Advisory Committee for the Federal Ministry of Finance between 1995 and 1999. Additionally, he acted as Technical Adviser for Vision 2010 and served as editor for the Nigerian Journal of Economics and Social Studies from 1997 to 2003.
Ekpo has chaired the Akwa Ibom Investment and Industrial Promotion Council while serving on various boards including Nigeria’s Utilities Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria between 2004 and 2009; during this period, he was also a member of the Monetary Policy Committee. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded Nigeria’s National Productivity Order of Merit Award in 2002.
His involvement in shaping national economic strategies includes membership on the National Economic Management team and Vision 2020 Steering Committee, as well as holding the presidency of the Nigerian Economic Society. Ekpo is affiliated with several professional organizations such as being a Fellow of the Nigerian Economic Society, a member of the American Economic Association, Royal Economic Society (UK), African Finance and Economic Association, International Institute for Public Finance, Nigerian Statistical Association, African Institute for Applied Economics board, and Clement Isong Foundation.
Selected honors
- Included in Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 1975
- Recognized as an Outstanding Young Man of America, 1977
- Featured in International Biographies, Cambridge, England, 1977
- Listed in Notable Americans, 1978
- Awarded Senate Research Grants at the University of Calabar, Nigeria, during 1983/84 and 1985/86
- Recipient of Research Board Grant from the University of Zimbabwe, 1991
- Beneficiary of African Economic Research Consortium Grant, 1992–1996
- Holder of Chief Anthony A. Ani's Professorial Chair in Public Finance at the University of Uyo, 1998–2001
- Honored with the National Productivity Order of Merit Award by the Nigerian President, 2001
- Awarded the Dr. Kwame Nkrumah African Leadership Award in Accra, Ghana, 2003
- Received commendation from the National Universities Commission for leadership as Vice-Chancellor at the University of Uyo, 2000–2005
- Elected Fellow of the Nigerian Economic Society
Ekpo’s specialization encompasses Economic Theory, including both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, along with Economic Development, Public Finance, and Quantitative Economics.
Personal life
Ekpo met his spouse, Njeri Mbaka, while attending Howard University. They have maintained a marriage exceeding 45 years and are parents to four children and grandparents to ten grandchildren. On 26 June 2024, Ekpo concluded a distinguished academic tenure that extended over more than forty years.