Ben Ayade

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Ben Ayade

|honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NG|CON|size=100%}}

|image = Ben-ayade-1.jpg

|caption =

|office1 = Governor of Cross River State

|deputy1 = Ivara Esu

|term_start1 = 29 May 2015

|term_end1 = 29 May 2023

|predecessor1 = Liyel Imoke

|successor1 = Bassey Edet Otu

|office2 = Senator for Cross River North

|term_start2 = 6 June 2011

|term_end2 = 29 May 2015

|predecessor2 =

|successor2 = Rose Oko

|birth_name = Benedict Bengiuoshuye Ayade

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|3|2|df=y}}

|birth_place = Kakum, Cross River State, Nigeria

|death_date =

|death_place =

|nationality = Nigerian

|party = All Progressives Congress (2021–present)

|otherparty = Peoples Democratic Party (2011–2021)

|spouse = Linda Ayade

|children = 3

|occupation =

|profession = {{hlist|Politician|lawyer|environmentalist}}

|education = St. Stephens Primary School

|alma_mater = {{plainlist|

}}

|website = {{URL|http://senatorbenayade.org}}

}}

Benedict Bengiuoshuye Ayade {{post-nominals|country=NG|CON}} ({{Pronunciation|Ig-Benedict Ayade.ogg|listen|(|help=no}}; born 2 March 1968) is a Nigerian politician who served as the governor of Cross River State from 2015 to 2023.{{cite news|title=Ayade wins Cross River governorship election|work=The Nation|date=11 March 2019|url=https://thenationonlineng.net/ayade-wins-cross-river-governorship-election/|access-date=8 June 2023}} He served as Senator for Cross River North from 2011 to 2015.

Early life

He was born in Obudu LGA of Cross River State on 2 March 1968 to Peter Akinsheye Ayade and Beatrice Ngayi Ayade. He hails from Kakum Village, Ipong Ward of Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. His parents were both devout Catholics. His father worked as a public servant with the water board.{{cite web|url=http://senatorbenayade.org/?page_id=2|publisher=Senator Ben Ayade's Website|title=Meet Sen Ben Ayade|access-date=13 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121221311/http://senatorbenayade.org/?page_id=2|archive-date=21 January 2016|url-status=usurped}}

Education

Benedict Ayade received his primary education at St. Stephens Primary School, Obudu, and proceeded to Government Secondary School, Obudu, Nigeria, for his secondary education.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Ayade earned his B.Sc. (Honours) from the University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Nigeria (1984–1988). He then proceeded to obtain his M.Sc. in microbiology (1989–1990) and subsequently his Ph.D. in environmental microbiology from the same University of Ibadan (1990–1994), winning the Best Doctoral Dissertation Award in Environmental Microbiology. Ayade also has an MBA (2000–2002) from Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Edo State. Ayade is a lawyer with an LL.B. law degree (2006–2010) from Delta State University, Abraka.{{cite news|url=https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/03/10/ayade-a-governor-and-philanthropist-51/|title=Ayade: A Governor and Philanthropist @51|work=This Day|date=10 March 2019|access-date=19 April 2019}} Ayade went on to work as a lecturer at Delta State University, Abraka, where he was subsequently appointed professor.

From his work in groundwater remediation in Nigeria, Ayade invented a sewage treatment plant powered by solar energy.{{cite news|url=https://www.channelstv.com/2015/12/06/gov-ayade-leads-african-governors-to-climate-change-summit-in-paris|title=Gov. Ayade Leads African Governors to Climate Summit in Paris|last=Donney|first=Donyoh|date=6 December 2015|agency=Channels TV|access-date=31 August 2024}}

Appointments/political career

Chairman of Ecological Fund
Chairman of International Institute of Environmental Research
Member of Strategic Policy Advisory Council
Member of Nigeria Association of Petroleum Engineers
Member of Cross River State Poverty Alleviation Board

Ayade ventured into politics when he ran for a seat in the Nigerian Senate in the 2011 elections as a member of the PDP. Ayade was elected by accumulating a total of 91,123 votes.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

During his term in the Senate, Ayade held the position of vice-chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology. He was also a member of other committees such as Petroleum Downstream, Education, Drugs/Narcotics/Crime etc.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Ayade won the gubernatorial poll again on the platform of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 2015 elections in Cross River State, having polled 342,016 votes ahead of the All Progressives Congress candidate in the state, Odey Ochicha, with 53,983 votes.{{cite web|url=https://crossriverwatch.com/2015/04/senator-ayade-wins-cross-river-governorship-with-landslide/|title=Senator Ayade Wins Cross River Governorship With Landslide|date=13 April 2015|work=Cross River watch|access-date=31 August 2024}}

Ayade recontested in the 2019 gubernatorial elections as a member of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and was reelected as the governor of Cross River State.{{cite news|url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/319459-ayade-wins-re-election-as-governor-of-cross-river.html|title=Ayade wins re-election as governor of Cross River|date=11 March 2019|access-date=31 August 2024}}{{cite news|title=INEC declares Ben Ayade winner of Cross Rivers governorship election|url=https://oak.tv/newstrack/inec-declares-ben-ayade-winner/|access-date=17 June 2019|work=Oak TV Newstrack|agency=Oak tv|date=11 March 2019}}

Awards

Ayade was awarded the 2016 Vanguard Governor of the Year.{{cite news|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/03/vanguard-gov-year-award-gowon-anyaoku-laud-ayade/|title=Vanguard Gov of the Year Award: Gowon, Anyaoku, laud Ayade|date=14 March 2017|work=Vanguard|access-date=14 March 2017}}

Ayade was awarded the 2019 Champion Newspaper Governor of the Year.{{cite news|last=Ulom|first=Frank|date=19 November 2019|title=Champion Newspaper Awards Ayade Governor Of The Year 2019|url=https://thesun.ng/ayade-emerges-champion-newspaper-governor-of-the-year/|access-date=31 August 2024|work=The Sun}}

Ayade was awarded the 2020 Leadership newspaper Governor of the year.

Ayade was also awarded the Blueprint Newspaper Governor of the Year on Agro-industrialization 2021. The award was in recognition of his developmental strides on Agro-industrialization.

On 24 August 2019, Ayade was invested as the Knight of St. John (KSJ) International by the Roman Catholic Church, Sacred Heart Cathedral, the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Calabar.{{cite web|last=Ulom|first=Frank|date=25 August 2019|title=Governor Ayade Is Now A Knight Of St. John (KSJ)|url=https://theparadise.ng/ayade-knight-st-john-ksj|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713042447/https://theparadise.ng/ayade-knight-st-john-ksj/|archive-date=13 July 2021|access-date=26 August 2019|website=The Paradise News}}

In October 2022, he was awarded a national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Muhammadu Buhari.{{cite news|date=11 October 2022|title=News in Photographs: Buhari Confers National Honours on Distinguished Nigerians, Foreigners|url=https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/10/11/news-in-photographs-buhari-confers-national-honours-on-distinguished-nigerians-foreigners/|access-date=17 October 2022|work=TYhis Day}}

Family and personal life

Ayade is married to Dr. Linda Ayade and has 3 children.{{cite news|last=Wodu|first=Ada|date=15 December 2021|title=Gov Ayade's wife kicks off health insurance scheme|url=https://punchng.com/gov-ayades-wife-kicks-off-health-insurance-scheme/|access-date=31 August 2024|work=The Punch}} His hobbies include reading, playing and watching games, as well as dancing.