Simon Sinek, the renowned British-American author and leadership expert, in his book ‘Leaders Eat Last’ opined that “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” These words were not written with Sen. John Owan Enoh (JOE), the Honourable Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment in mind, but they could have been. This is because unlike many Nigerian politicians who chase power for its own sake, Enoh has proven that his motivation for getting into politics is more about taking care of others.
For me and many others, leadership is not and should not be measured by the speeches leaders deliver from podiums and on television, but by the lives they leave better than they found them. By that measure, Sen. Enoh appears to be in a class of his own.
Long before the ministerial portfolio, he made a defining political choice by becoming the first sitting National Assembly lawmaker from Cross River State to join the APC, throwing his weight behind a party when it was still a gamble in the state. That decision didn’t just depict political courage, it injected fresh energy into the party’s structure in the state and helped reshape its fortunes to what it is today.
As Minister of State, Industry, Enoh occupies one of Nigeria’s most consequential economic seats. But what sets him apart isn’t the title, it’s what he does with the position. Since his redeployment to that ministry from Sports, he has embarked on some of the country’s most audacious industrial reforms.
He is quietly but effectively implementing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Industrial Revolution that focuses on agro-processing, textiles, and manufacturing, aiming for 25% year-on-year industrial growth over 10 years through public-private partnerships. Just in February, the administration launched the Nigeria Industrial Policy 2025–2035, aimed at transforming Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by shifting from raw material exports to finished goods.
Beyond what he’s doing in Abuja, Enoh has been deliberate about ensuring that his position at the Federal Executive Council translates into real, tangible impact back home. Last year, through the JOE Foundation, he launched an MSME Grant programme designed to support small businesses and strengthen financial independence among the people of Cross River. For me, this, alongside how positively he has changed the lives of those who work closely with him, remains his most underrated legacy.
Across Cross River, hundreds of ordinary men and women, traders, artisans, young entrepreneurs have been pulled off the margins through this intervention. This is not just government money laundered through bureaucracy. This is strategic commitment, costing billions, to ensure that economic opportunity doesn’t remain a privilege of the well connected.
That instinct to genuinely lift people shows up even in how he treats those closest to him. Many Cross River politicians have a culture of keeping their aides financially strapped and dependent. But he is doing the opposite. He has facilitated well paying federal employment for most of his staff, opened doors to international exposure, and recently gifted vehicles to his entire team.
This isn’t performative generosity. It is a deliberate philosophy, one that rejects the usual tactics of weaponising poverty to manufacture loyalty. I believe he understands something that many of our leaders refuse to accept; empowered people serve better than desperate ones.
The Minister is, by all accounts, a man without class barriers. Accessible, grounded, and present, whether in the corridors of Abuja or the dusty streets of Etung and Cross River.
As he marks his 60th birthday, the celebration is fitting. Sixty years of a life that has, in meaningful ways, made room for others to grow. My prayer for him isn’t just for his health or continued relevance, though those matter. It is that Cross River and Nigeria produce more leaders who understand that power is not a destination. It is a tool. And Sen. Enoh has used his well.
Happy 60th birthday, Honourable Minister. The lives you’ve touched are your truest monument and greatest currency.
-Inyali Peter, Ph.D.*
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