Michael Evbrohonren Owhoko (born 27 th July) is a Nigerian journalist, author, media and public relations practitioner.(1) He was a former spokesman for Gaslink Nigeria Limited and Communications
Representative for Addax Petroleum Nigeria Limited.(2)(3)(4). He is an accomplished author with several
books to his credit.(5)(6)(7)(8)(9).
Personal details
Born July 27, 1965
Residence: Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
Alma Mater: Universities of Ilorin and Lagos, Nigeria
Profession: Journalism
Early Life
Michael Owhoko was born in an oil city of Emadadja in Udu Local Government Area of Delta
State, Nigeria. He is the son of late Chief Owhoko Gheghe, a Palm Oil Merchant and former Chief Judge
of Udu Customary Court, Udu LGA, Delta State. In an effort to expose him to city life, his mother, late
Mrs Mipheren Owhoko sent him to live with her younger sister in Warri at the age of 7 where he grew
into adulthood. He later took up employment in the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company
(PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 1979. During this period he was actively involved in union activities, becoming a National Executive member of PPMC Branch of the National Union of Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), and later rose to become a member of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). His quest for university education prompted him to resign in 1994 to actualize his dreams.
Education
Owhoko had his early education in Warri where he obtained his primary and secondary education
before proceeding to the University of Ilorin, Nigeria where he obtained a B.Sc. degree in Political
Science in 1987. After work experience, he proceeded to the University of Lagos where he obtained an
M.Sc. in Political Science in 1999, and later obtained a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Mass Communications in 2001 also from the University of Lagos. Thereafter, he enrolled for a Ph.D Programme at the Selinus University of Sciences and Literature. After a successful defence of his thesis in 2021, Owhoko was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Political
Science.2
He also holds professional training certificates in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from
the Institute of Leadership and Management (through EUROMATECH) in the United Kingdom and Dubai. Besides, he attended training programmes in Public Relations and Press Management organized by ReCh Management Centre, London, United Kingdom.
At different times, Dr. Owhoko also acquired media and communications training from the Lagos
Business School (LBS) and Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria as well as training in Public Relations and Effective Communication organized by the Financial Institutions Training Centre and Phillip Consulting respectively in 1992.
Owhoko also holds a mini-Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Supply Chain Management.
Career
His career as a journalist took its root from a weekly newspaper, The Metropolitan, where he was
recruited as a Staff Reporter in 1989, from where he joined the then Nationwide Merchant Bank in
1991, serving in various departments within the bank before exiting in 1997 as Head, Administration.
He later left banking and moved to the media industry. He worked for the Financial Telegraph and
The Diet newspapers before being recruited by the Daily Times of Nigeria, becoming the
Energy Editor of the Business Times, during which, he ran energy column, wrote editorials on energy and contributed series of stories and articles which served as source of research materials for the oil and gas industry.
In 2001, he was poached by Gaslink Nigeria Limited3 as Head, Public Relations, where he functioned at management level and as spokesman of the organisation responsible for media, community, public and government relations. Owhoko was awarded a certificate of merit by the company in October 2002 for his outstanding contribution to the successful completion and commissioning of Ikeja 1B Gas Distribution
Project. Between 2004 and 2006, Dr. Owhoko later joined the services of Owel-Linkso Group4 as Public Relations Manager and spokesman, responsible for analysis and articulation of government, public, media and community related issues.
In 2006, he joined the services of Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria Limited as Communications Representative5. He was responsible for developing and editing some of the company’s literatures highlighting company’s operations, including the in-house magazine, Inside Addax, which serve as materials at major oil and gas conferences and exhibition. Besides, Owhoko has also represented the company at several other events, including the Public Relations Sub-Committee of the Oil Producers’ Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industries (LCCI).
He was later elected into the Council of the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), an affiliate of the International Gas Union (IGU) as Publicity Secretary in 2000. During his tenure, he initiated and pioneered a bi-annual gas journal publication, the Nigerian Gas, becoming the pioneer editor of the magazine, which serves as reference materials for members of the oil and gas industry. Besides, Owhoko was appointed in 2018 and 2020 respectively by the Association to a three-man electoral committee to
conduct credible election of officers into the Association’s Council.
In 1999, Michael Owhoko was appointed and sponsored by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group
(NESG) as delegate to the 7th Nigerian Economic Summit held in Abuja where he actively participated in
the plenary sessions, and of the Gas Sub-Committee.
He was also appointed into various committees in the media and oil and gas industry, including industry committee for the organization of the then West Africa Offshore Conference which provided industry support for hosting of the conference.
Also in 2008, Owhoko was appointed into the National Committee of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry
Games (NOGIG) where he was elected 2nd Vice Chairman in 2010 to plan, organize and drive the games
with participants from the international, indigenous and oil servicing oil companies.
Owhoko was also appointed in 2008 by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) into a three-man committee to develop and produce a Bye Law for the regulation of Journalists’ Estate, a pioneer housing estate for journalists in Nigeria, located at Arepo, Ogun State.6
Professional Associations/Club
Owhoko is a member of some professional associations and clubs, among which are the
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)7, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Gas
Association (NGA)8, and Society of Energy Editors (SEE) and Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC). In 2012, he was honoured by NAEC with a Merit Award for Outstanding Service. He is a member of Ikoyi Club 1938, and was also a member of Rotary Club of Ikoyi, District 9110 Nigeria.9
Books and selected publications
Michael Owhoko, The Language of Oil and Gas, Bloomington, IN. Archway Publishing, 2020.
ISBN 978-1-4808-9085-5; ISBN: 978-1-4808-9086-2.10
Michael Owhoko, Career Frustration in the Workplace, Bloomington, IN. IUniverse, 2016. ISBN-
10: 1491785527; ISBN-13: 978-1491785522.11
Michael Owhoko, Nigeria on the Precipice: Issues, Options and Solutions, Bloomington, IN.
IUniverse, 2017. ISBN-10: 1532024967; ISBN-13: 978-1532024962.12
Michael Owhoko, The Future of Nigeria, Bloomington, IN. Archway Publishing, 2020. ISBN 978-
1-4808-9083-1; ISBN 978-1-4808-9084-8.13
Michael Owhoko, Feminism: The Agony of Men, Bloomington, IN. WestBow Press, 2019. ISBN
978-1-9736-4711-9; ISBN 978-1-9736-4712-6; ISBN 978-1-9736-4710-2.14
Michael Owhoko, Workplace Rats, Kolkata, India, Exceller Books, 2022. ISB: 978-93-93734-07-5.
Michael Owhoko, Open Letter to President Buhari for relocation of oil companies to Niger Delta
region, https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/04/09/an-open-letter-to-president-
buhari-2/15
Michael Owhoko, Open Letter to CBN Governor over health of Nigerian banks,
https://thewillnigeria.com/news/opinion-an-open-letter-to-cbn-governor-godwin-emefiele-
over-health-of-nigerian-banks/16
Michael Owhoko, Open Letter to President Buhari over planned Naira devaluation,
https://punchng.com/open-letter-to-buhari-over-planned-naira-devaluation/17
Michael Owhoko, How ethnicity will destroy Nigeria, https://guardian.ng/opinion/how-
ethnicity-will-destroy-nigeria/18
Michael Owhoko, The woman as an enigma, https://guardian.ng/opinion/the-woman-as-an-
enigma/19
Michael Owhoko, The scam in the Biafran agitation process,
https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2020/02/05/the-scam-in-the-biafran-agitation-process-
by-michael-owhoko/20
Michael Owhoko, Rescuing and safeguarding the future of journalism in Nigeria,
https://guardian.ng/opinion/rescuing-and-safeguarding-the-future-of-journalism-in-nigeria/21
Michael Owhoko, North-South imbalance: Nigeria in free fall to self destruct,
https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2020/08/05/north-south-imbalance-nigeria-in-free-fall-
to-self-destruct-by-michael-owhoko/22
Michael Owhoko, NDDC, Oil communities and 13 percent derivation,
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/11/16/nddc-oil-communities-and-13-per-cent-
derivation/23
Michael Owhoko, How lack of clean water is driving up diseases in Lekki,
https://www.thecable.ng/how-lack-of-clean-water-is-driving-up-diseases-in-lekki 24
Michael Owhoko, Southern leaders and Nigeria’s constitution,
https://thenationonlineng.net/southern-leaders-and-nigerias-constitutions/25
Michael Owhoko, Why the Water Resources Bill must be rejected,
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/10/10/why-the-water-resources-bill-must-be-
rejected/26
References
1. Oluwatosin Omojuyigbe, November 6, 2018, Expert warns FG against danger of emigration:
https://punchng.com/expert-warns-fg-against-danger-of-emigration/
2. http://www.gasandoil.com/news/africa/d9b1bedf60741c4457cab382dd618953
3. https://www.petroleumafrica.com/ustda-to-help-power-nigeria/
4. https://www.thecable.ng/geneva-arrests-addax-petroleum-ceo-over-bribery-deal-linked-to-
nigeria
5. Peter Uzoho, June 16, 2020, Oil Industry Receives Boost with Book on Jargons:
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/06/16/oil-industry-receives-boost-with-book-on-
jargons/
6. Hannah Hickok, OCT 10, 2016, How Experts Handle Office Drama – 5 Savvy, Expert-Backed
Strategies for Dealing with Office Drama, StyleCaster magazine. https://stylecaster.com/how-to-
handle-drama-at-work/
7. Bayo Ogumupe, 26 October 2017, The Guardian newspaper:
https://guardian.ng/features/referendum-as-stepping-stone-for-rescuing-nigeria-from-the-
precipice/
8. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/06/blueprint-for-averting-nigerias-breakup-revealed-in-
new-book/
9. Bayo Ogunmupe, 14 June 2020, https://guardian.ng/art/how-men-agonise-over-feminism/
10. https://newsexpressngr.com/news/118261-Mike-Owhoko-bags-PhD
11. https://guardian.ng/opinion/rescuing-and-safeguarding-the-future-of-journalism-in-nigeria/
12. https://naturenews.africa/mike-owhoko-bags-ph-d/
13. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/business/business-news/264390-nigerian-gas-association-
holds-election-calls-for-nomination.html
14. https://promptnewsonline.com/mike-owhoko-bags-ph-d/
15. https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/04/09/an-open-letter-to-president-buhari-2/
16. https://thewillnigeria.com/news/opinion-an-open-letter-to-cbn-governor-godwin-emefiele-
over-health-of-nigerian-banks/
17. https://punchng.com/open-letter-to-buhari-over-planned-naira-devaluation/
18. https://guardian.ng/opinion/how-ethnicity-will-destroy-nigeria/
19. https://guardian.ng/opinion/the-woman-as-an-enigma/
20. https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2020/02/05/the-scam-in-the-biafran-agitation-process-
by-michael-owhoko/
21. https://guardian.ng/opinion/rescuing-and-safeguarding-the-future-of-journalism-in-nigeria/
22. https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2020/08/05/north-south-imbalance-nigeria-in-free-fall-
to-self-destruct-by-michael-owhoko/
23. https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/11/16/nddc-oil-communities-and-13-per-cent-
derivation/
24. https://www.thecable.ng/how-lack-of-clean-water-is-driving-up-diseases-in-lekki
25. https://thenationonlineng.net/southern-leaders-and-nigerias-constitutions/
26. https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/10/10/why-the-water-resources-bill-must-be-
rejected/