CITATION OF RT. HON. GOODLUCK NANAH OPIAH

(HONOURABLE MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA)

Born in Abacheke Egbema on the 12th February, 1964.

It was Shakespeare who said that “some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them”. Goodluck Opiah belongs to the category of people who achieved greatness. This is because Opiah’s upward trajectory “follows the path of a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness”, according to Lucius Seneca. Goodluck Opiah is a typical example of the postulation by the legendary Bob Marley, who stated that; “The greatness of a man is not how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively”. The story of Goodluck Nanah Opiah is a typical case of from grace to grace.

Having been convinced that great men are not necessarily born great, but grow great, the young Opiah from a very early age was determined to become successful hence he embraced education at a very early age.  Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah attended St. Michael Primary School, Abacheke, and proceeded to Egbema Secondary School for his secondary education. He later attended the prestigious Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, where he bagged a Bachelor of Science Degree (B.Sc.) in Business Education – specializing in Management.  He also holds a Master of Science Degree (MSc) in Corporate Governance from Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom.

His working career took him through enviable management positions in reputable National and Multi-National Organizations such as San Ventures Limited, UTC Plc., BEWAC Plc., and Gohanah Nigeria Limited, an Oil/Gas indigenous firm where he served as Field Manager, General Manager, and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer respectively before retiring voluntarily into Public Service in 2003.

He was elected Member of the Imo State House of Assembly in 2003, and was re-elected to the Assembly for a second time in 2007 following his outstanding representation in the first term. He was elected the Honourable Speaker of the same legislature in 2007, a position he retained till 2011. A compassionate and astute politician and consummate leader; he combined integrity, diplomacy, inclusiveness and decency to stabilize the very turbulent political climate of Imo State of that era.

He represented Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta/Oru West Federal Constituency in the Green Chambers of the National Assembly Abuja, Nigeria (2015-2019) and was exceptional in his legislative duties and general representation at the House of Representatives.

Opiah was appointed the Special Adviser/Coordinator, Petroleum and Gas Matters by His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State. In December 2021, he was elevated to the position of Commissioner for Petroleum Resources where he has been piloting the affairs of the Ministry creditably.

Based on excellent display within the period of service, he was appointed a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and sworn in as Minister of State for Education by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 6th of July 2022.

A dedicated, selfless, humble philanthropist, Opiah’s main source of happiness is service to his people. He generously gives his time, energy, expertise and financial resources to make a difference in the lives of his people. His representation of his people at the State and National Assemblies attracted so much infrastructural and human capital development to the people of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area and Ohaji-Egbema/Oguta/Oru West Federal Constituency respectively. He brought into existence the present Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), and ensured that several hundreds of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta Youth were beneficiaries of the Post-Amnesty programme of the Federal Government. He facilitated the establishment of the Multi Billion Naira Skills Acquisition Centre at Abaezi Egbema; the Gas Turbine project at Mmahu Egbema, the Housing Estate at Umuagwo-Ohaji; the reconstruction/expansion of Umuapu-Etekwuru-Ukwugba Road; Dualization of Avu-Egbema Road; and the upgrading of Michael Okpara College of Agriculture to Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo Ohaji.

His exceptional performances in law-making earned him a lot of national and international attention and accolades. He was honoured by the Yitzhak Rabin Centre, Israel, as the Most Outstanding Speaker of the State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria in 2009.  He later became the Chairman of Board of Governors of the same Centre (African Region) in 2010. He was also the National Secretary of the Conference of Speakers of the State Legislatures of Nigeria between 2008-2011.

The Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah was also the Chairman, Board of Directors of Agriculture and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, a Federal Government Institute. This appointment was in recognition of his contributions to entrepreneurship and agricultural development in Nigeria by the then President and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR.

He is an Environmental Activist and unrepentant crusader against the environmental degradation and pollution in the oil producing areas of Imo State, and the Niger Delta. A compassionate humanitarian and a tireless advocate whose life has been dedicated to the pursuit of justice, a visionary politician of extraordinary insight, Goodluck Opiah is an enthusiastic proponent of entrepreneurial education.

Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah is a devout Christian and happily married, and a good family man.