“It’s not an easy task ahead, but I want to please beg you that I will continue to sustain the office of the First Lady, and I want to please introduce our daughter and hand her over to you. She will continue to coordinate the office of the First Lady…”

Those emotional words coming from a grieving Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, during the condolence visit by the Nation’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, over the transition of his wife, the First Lady, Pastor Patience Umo Eno, on Friday, October 4, 2024; paved the way for the First daughter of the Governor, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, to take up the responsibility of ensuring the smooth running of the office of the First Lady.

A lot has happened two years after that sudden and unexpected proclamation at a time of profound grief, by Pastor Umo Eno, as the extraordinary vision of the mother of the State, fondly called Eka Iberedem, has been taken up by the steady and capable hands of her daughter.

It has been two years since that poignant moment of handover, and Lady Helen Eno Obareki has become a reference point and masterclass in purposeful leadership, breathing fresh energy into the state’s humanitarian architecture while safeguarding the heartbeat of her mother’s legacy.

Over the last two years, the Coordinator of Office of the First Lady, Lady Helen Eno Obareki has continued to translate the compassionate philosophy of the ARISE Agenda into tangible, and life-changing realities for the vulnerable.

The Boy child, Girl child, men, women, and families, represented by a total of 58,720 beneficiaries, have been impacted in diverse ways, through the Patience Umo Eno Golden Initiative For All, GIFA, with innovations introduced by Lady Obareki, in recognition of present day realities in a fast paced digitally inclined society.

A striking innovation introduced to the ‘Women Empowerment’ and ‘Enhancing Literacy and Learning’ Thematic Areas of GIFA, is Lady Obareki’s hosting of the maiden ‘GIFA Women in Tech Breakfast Roundtable’ in November 2025, where she reiterated the commitment of her office to partner with local and international organisations to institutionalise women’s access to education, training and empowerment across all the Local Government Areas.

“We need your hands, your expertise, and your capital to scale this vision. I invite all of you, within and outside this breakfast meeting to forge concrete partnerships with GIFA to adopt cohorts, provide mentorship, fund specialised equipment and offer employment – ready internships’

‘Let us leave this space with a shared, unwavering purpose: to ensure that gender parity is not a distant goal, but a digital, economic reality in Akwa Ibom State,” she charged during the meeting which was held on November 5, 2025.

That call for partnerships has materialised in the selection of 250 women from the close to 3,000 applications received on the GIFA website for the Tech Women Initiative, GIFA – TWI, a 12 week programme which covers Entrepreneurship, 2D/3D Animation, and Executive and Professional Support.

Under the watchful stewardship of Lady Helen, the GIFA ‘Water of Life’, has metamorphosed from the initial 3 provided at Nung Ukim in Ikono LGA; Ibiaku in Mkpat Enin LGA and Ekpene ikpan in Nsit Ibom LGA, which relied on public power supply and generating sets, to additional 11 Solar Powered Water provided at Ikot Obong Edong in Ikot Ekpene LGA; Nsekhe in Ukanafun; Ikot Akpabio in Nsit Atai; Uquo in Esit Eket; Ekpat Iduot in Abak; and Ikot Offiong, Ikono clan in Uyo LGA. Other beneficiary communities enjoying clean, safe and potable water, are Ikot Eba, Etinan LGA; Utu Ikot Imo-Nte, Etim Ekpo LGA; Udung Ulo, Okobo LGA; Oyoku Ibighe, Urue Offong Oruko LGA and Ikot Aba community in Ikot Abasi LGA.

The water of life project is just one of the many programmes listed under the ‘Improving Environmental Health’ thematic area of GIFA. Beyond water, climate change mitigation has received considerable attention with the hosting of a sensitisation programme in Uyo where conversations by a mixed crowd of students, Farmers, Market Women and stakeholders centered around sustainable environmental practices that will tackle environmental challenges, such as the recycling of plastics, and the planting of trees.

The participants received eco-friendly solar lamps and economic tree seedlings from Lady Helen Eno Obareki, who few weeks later, led stakeholders in the state on a tree planting exercise, to flag off the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI, Green Nigeria Challenge which focuses on tree planting and community beautification projects in all the Local Government Areas.

Widows, the elderly, orphans, and persons with special needs are not excluded, as several programmes are intentionally designed for them, as proof that the government can indeed possess a warm, maternal heartbeat.

Lady Obareki has systematically expanded social intervention frameworks, ensuring every project bearing her mother’s name stands as a functional, enduring monument of service, by introducing a project that has given her a permanent residence in the heart of Akwa Ibom people. GIFA at your doorstep, an initiative that uniquely delivers support directly to the homes and business premises of 50 beneficiaries, who were either selected from their comments on Facebook requesting for support, or random cash grants from the GIFA team members to vendors trading their wares on wheels. Items provided varied, from sewing machines, mannequins, generators, cookers with ovens, to pop corn vending machines, mixers, stands of seedlings and other items requested, as well as cash.

Her powerful declaration at TADIS 2026 captures the very essence of her personal philosophy: “To every young woman sitting in this hall today who feels invisible, overlooked, or told that her dreams are ‘too big’ for an African girl: do not wait for the world to hand you a seat at the table. Build your value, sharpen your intellect, master your craft, and command competence until the table cannot function without your presence!”

When Lady Obareki charges young minds to command competence, she is describing the exact blueprint of her own journey. She did not merely inherit a legacy; as PA to her mom she had studied its architecture, honoured its spiritual foundation, and reinforced it with her own administrative grit.

The numbers of beneficiaries of GIFA support have grown tremendously under Lady Helen Eno Obareki as 10,384 pregnant women, mothers and newborn babies have benefitted from maternal and child healthcare initiatives; 6,917 women empowered; GIFA has taken her medical intervention through the ‘Wheels of Hope’ Programme to rural communities and attended to 5,200 Beneficiaries. More than 12,000 senior citizens have received welfare packages from Government through the ARISE Initiative For the Elderly; 20,037 children and adults have benefitted from different programmes ranging from Adult Literacy programme, to back to school programmes and the school supplies programme, under ‘Enhancing Literacy and Learning’. Survivors of rape have been empowered with skills and starter packs, while persons with disability have been hosted to a fun day by the Coordinator of the office of the First Lady and other Stakeholders.

Akwa Ibom people have also not lost out of interventions from the Federal Government as Lady Helen, in her responsibility as State Coordinator of the RHI, has accessed various empowerment programmes, for more than 13,500 Beneficiaries.

Two years down the line, the young, energetic and vibrant occupant of the Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Lady Helen, who bears her triple responsibilities gracefully, stands as a vibrant testament to endurance, faith, and intentional service.

As the Coordinator of the office of the First Lady; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Patience Umo Eno Golden Initiative For All, GIFA; and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, pet project of the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Lady Helen Eno Obareki has proven that legacies are preserved not by standing still, but by walking forward with courage and expanding the circle of grace.

Uduak Ekong
Press Secretary to the First Lady
Akwa Ibom State.
October 4, 2026.