Gov Eno appoints chief of staff

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has appointed Aniefiok Johnson as his chief of staff, less than a year before the end of his first term in office.

The Secretary to the State Government, Enobong Uwah, announced the appointment in a statement on Friday.

Mr Johnson, who previously served as the governor’s executive assistant and chief delivery advisor, will assume his new position with immediate effect.

According to the statement, Mr Johnson distinguished himself in his previous role through diligence, loyalty and commitment to the administration’s Arise Agenda.

Diplomatic and public service career

Mr Johnson has more than three decades of experience in international diplomacy and senior management roles with the United Nations.

Before joining the Akwa Ibom State Government, he served as chief of staff, at director level, in the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region in Nairobi, Kenya.

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His international assignments included roles with the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the African Union-United Nations Joint Mediation Support Team in Doha, Qatar, and Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

He also served in diplomatic postings involving German and Caribbean embassies.

During a sabbatical from his international career, Mr Johnson served as senior special assistant to the president of Nigeria on special projects, overseeing federal infrastructure, power and development initiatives.

In Akwa Ibom, he served as executive assistant and chief delivery advisor to Governor Eno, helping coordinate government priorities and policy implementation under the administration’s Arise Agenda. He also led the state’s power sector reform committee.

Mr Johnson holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from Dublin City University, Ireland, and a degree in Political Science.

His appointment comes as the Eno administration approaches the final year of its first term, with the governor’s office expected to remain central to coordinating government activities and implementing the administration’s policy commitments.