At the end of September, 2018, Kufre Ekanem, the cerebral Corporate Affairs Adviser of Nigeria Breweries Plc, left the post he had held for the last five years, to try his hand on his dream project, running a multi dimensional Consulting firm, with a mandate to cover Culture, Marketing and Public Relations.
Given the state of the economy, it takes a lion heart to leave a very comfortable environment and dove head long into the uncertain world of entrepreneurship. But we are talking about a man who has spent the last thirty years putting his hand in every available pie, until he has mastered the art of baking.
Corporate Pies, that is.
Kufre has traversed the world of Journalism, Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing, with over a decade’s experience at the highest level of management.
Born Abasikufre Udoudo EKANEM, the Port Harcourt born Anang native is a man born to be great. His first name means ” God does not Forget” in Anang. A prophetic desire by his father to hand over his third son’s destiny into His hands.
If his first name is a prayer, his second name Udoudo, meaning third son , was downright uncanny. He is the third son of a man who was himself also a third son! A natural tie to his father that remains unbroken till this day.
It became obvious to the Ikot Ekpene sired young man, as soon as he could think, that he is destined for greatness. Growing up in the cosmopolitan city of Port Harcourt meant the Young Kufre had to learn to grow from a Port Harcourt boy to an Anang man. And so, off to Ikot Ekpene he went to start his Secondary School education at the Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene, then proceeded to University of Calabar, for both his Bachelor and Masters degrees.
His posting to Ibadan, the largest city in black Africa for his NYSC opened his eyes to the vastness of the Nigerian business environment and its possibilities for a good marketer, which drove him into becoming a leading figure in Marketing and Marketing Communications.
And so started a journey that will take him to Kraft Foods, Mondelez, Cadbury, So&U and NB
Married to the beautiful and intelligent Ezinne and blessed with a daughter. It is ironic that it is his wife, Ezinne, a graduate of English, who is the business person in the family. Not only is she a well known Interior Designer under the moniker, Rosemary’s, the soft furnishing Company, where she is the CEO, she also handles all business decisions instead of her Business Management graduate husband, who incidentally, is a renowned writer and poet.
As Kufre moves on from a boardroom player to an entrepreneur, his dreams for the new venture, Phillosoville Limited, which is situated at Block 95, Plot 7 Omorinre Johnson Street at Lekki, and specialises in Culture, PR , Marketing and Brand Management, I wish him the best of luck.
He was of course quick to clarify that the Culture aspect of the business relates to Corporate culture of organisations, and not about those Anang festivals featuring fine girls.
Which to me is a pity.
Anyway, with his first client, NB PLC already in the bag, Kufre can now use his Lagos sense, his PH sagacity, his famed Anang wisdom and his Ibadan street smarts to ensure that this new adventure, like those that came before, including the now expanding Rosemary Group, is a resounding success.
But whether he will still have time for the Alumni of the Beer Academy, where he is the Dean, remains to be seen.
For a man who was handed over to Abasi at birth, it is obvious that Abasi has always watched his back, and continues to do so.
Abasikufre Udoudo Ekanem, it is your time to shine.
My10kobo
By Gani Kayode Balogun Jr