By Rasheed Olanrewaju
Some leaders are remembered for the offices they occupied. Others are remembered for the institutions they built, the systems they strengthened, and the people they empowered long after leaving public office.
Few Nigerian public figures embody that distinction more than former Cross River State governor and former senator Liyel Imoke.
For more than three decades, Imoke has remained a steady and influential figure in Nigeria’s public life, combining strategic thinking, reform-minded governance and an enduring belief that leadership should create opportunities and structures capable of outliving individuals.
His public service journey reflects a consistent philosophy: that the true measure of leadership lies not merely in immediate achievements, but in the foundations laid for future generations.
Born into a family deeply rooted in public service, Imoke inherited values of discipline, excellence and national commitment early in life.
His father, the late Dr Samuel Imoke, was one of Nigeria’s distinguished nationalists and public administrators who served in key ministerial positions, including Finance, Labour and Education, between 1953 and 1966. His mother, the late Mrs Comfort Imoke, was a respected nurse, midwife and pioneer in community and public health.
Those early influences would shape a career defined by service and institution building.
Imoke received his education across Nigeria, the United States and the United Kingdom before being called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988.
He attended Santa Maria Primary School, Enugu; Ireti Primary School, Lagos; Government Primary School, Itigidi; Maryknoll College, Ogoja; and Federal Government College, Enugu.
He later obtained a degree in International Relations with a minor in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, studied Law at the University of Buckingham in England, and completed postgraduate legal studies at the American University in Washington, D.C.
Before venturing fully into politics, he practised Law in Washington, D.C., and Lagos while also developing business interests across various sectors.
At the age of 30, he became one of Nigeria’s youngest senators, beginning a political journey that would later span legislation, policy reforms and executive governance.
Throughout his years in national service, Imoke developed a reputation for pursuing reforms that strengthened institutions rather than simply managing existing systems.
This philosophy became particularly evident in Nigeria’s power sector reforms.
As Special Adviser to the President on Public Utilities, Chairman of the Technical Board of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), and later Minister of Power and Steel, Imoke played significant roles in some of Nigeria’s most important electricity reforms.
His contributions included the implementation of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, the establishment of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the creation of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the unbundling of NEPA and the conceptualisation of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).
Earlier in his career, he also chaired the board that supervised the winding down of the Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC). This process paved the way for the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
These initiatives reflected a leadership style focused on building systems designed to endure beyond individual administrations.
That same philosophy guided his tenure as governor of Cross River State between 2007 and 2015.
His administration pursued reforms in public financial management, procurement systems, healthcare, education, environmental sustainability and local government administration while strengthening transparency and accountability in governance.
Major initiatives such as Summit Hills, the Greater Calabar Urban Renewal Programme and the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) strategy reflected a long-term vision to diversify the state’s economy and position Cross River as a destination for investment and tourism.
Yet perhaps the defining feature of the Imoke administration was its commitment to people-centred development.
For Imoke, development could not be considered meaningful if it failed to reach communities far removed from political power and economic opportunities.
His administration prioritised rural development by expanding access to roads, healthcare, education, agriculture and social intervention programmes across the state’s 18 local government areas.
Governance, under his leadership, was not confined to the capital city but extended to communities where citizens lived and worked.
His calm, deliberate and methodical approach to leadership eventually became known in some circles as “Imokeism” — a style characterised more by vision, strategic thinking and consensus building than by political theatrics.
His trademark Chief Obafemi Awolowo-style cap also became closely associated with his public image. In a personal conversation, Imoke once explained that his attachment to the iconic cap stemmed partly from his birth in Ibadan, where the late Awolowo’s political and cultural influence remained deeply embedded.
Known affectionately by many associates as “Avatar,” Imoke consistently demonstrated that his greatest investment was not in infrastructure alone but in human capital.
He recognised that while roads and buildings may transform communities, empowered and ethical individuals ultimately transform nations.
Having had the privilege of working under Senator Liyel Imoke throughout his eight years as Governor of Cross River State, I witnessed firsthand that this belief was not merely rhetoric but a principle that shaped governance decisions and leadership choices.
Perhaps the clearest expression of that philosophy emerged after public office.
In 2011, Imoke established The Bridge Leadership Foundation, an organisation dedicated to mentoring and developing young leaders across Nigeria.
Through leadership programmes, mentorship initiatives, civic engagement activities and personal development interventions, the Foundation has impacted more than 62,000 young Nigerians, mentees and trainers.
The initiative represents a continuation of Imoke’s enduring belief that leadership should not be about creating followers but about preparing others to lead.
Today, his influence extends beyond the positions he once occupied.
It can be found in institutions that continue to function, reforms that continue to shape policy, communities that benefited from development interventions and the thousands of young Nigerians whose leadership journeys have been influenced by his mentorship efforts.
His story serves as a reminder that public service is not merely about holding office; it is about building systems, values and institutions capable of thriving long after one leaves the stage.
In an era when public discourse often focuses on personalities and political contests, Liyel Imoke’s legacy offers a different model, one rooted in institution-building, strategic reforms, and investment in future generations.
Ultimately, the measure of leadership may not be the offices occupied, but the institutions strengthened and the lives transformed along the way.
As he marks his 65th birthday, Imoke’s enduring legacy lies not only in the offices he occupied but in the institutions he strengthened, the reforms he championed and the generations of leaders he continues to inspire.
*Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair is a Senior Journalist and Public Relations practitioner based in Abuja.
