Arc. Ezekiel Nya-Etok was born on All Saints day on November 1, 1963 in Nsiak Town of Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom state. He had his primary education in Government Primary School, Ikot Obong Edong, Ekoi in Ikot Ekpene L.G.A. He later moved to Federal Government College, Warri, in the present Delta State for his secondary education.
At age 21, he graduated with a B.Sc (1984), and M.Sc in Architecture (1986) degrees from the University of Nigeria at the age of 23. He thereafter took part in the National Youth Service Corps scheme at Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, Borno State. He got married at the age of 25 to his university love, Chika, who is an accomplished medical practitioner. At age 31, the marriage was already blessed with their three lovely children: Aniekan-Abasi, Ini-Abasi and Eme.
When Arc. Nya-Etok clocked 50-year-old, his three children had become university graduates, and at 54, Arc. Nya-Etok became a proud grandfather. Arc. Nya-Etok believes that his primary mission in life has become to give back not only to the state (Akwa Ibom) that aided his education through the provision of bursary support, but also to his country, Nigeria, which provided him with quality education in the first place.
He has been at the forefront of housing development, having devoted over thirty (30) years of his life to advocacy for ‘Social Housing’ -a housing delivery that primarily targets and benefits No, Low, and Lower-middle income earners. He is reputed for the qualitative execution of several housing development projects across state and national boundaries.
Arc. Ezekiel Nya-Etok executes residential housing projects, and consults for several state Governments. Similarly, on account of exceptional housing development initiatives, Arc. Ezekiel Nya-Etok, having become the first Nigeria to obtain the famous Shelter Afrique housing facility for any state government in Nigeria at he secured the buy-in of the erstwhile Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Arc. (Obong) Victor Attah to construct the popular Shelter Afrique Housing Estate in Uyo in the year 2000.
The Shelter Afrique housing project benefited over 700 indigenes as contractors. It also productively engaged over 10,000 artisans, labourers, suppliers, petty traders and the likes. The project thus became a tool and national model for poverty alleviation.
Arc. Nya-Etok has won the golden prize on the list of achievers. His achievements, particularly in the housing sector, earned him the moniker, ‘Mr Social Housing’. He has also won several awards and recognition nationally and internationally, few of which are: The Nigerian Housing Man of the Year Award 2014, the Excellence Award by Nigeria-Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, in Atlanta, USA, special recognition by the revered Akwa Esop Imaisong Ibibio, the Akwa Ibom community in diaspora at their annual convention in Philadelphia, and numerous other national and international awards.
As one of the most decorated Nigerians in the housing sector, Arc. Ezekiel Nya-Etok has served on virtually every housing committee at the federal level while also consulting for different states of the federation, and the sub regional body NDDC, hence his frequent travels within and outside the shores of Nigeria. Arc. Ezekiel Nya-Etok’s professionalism and immeasurable achievements have worn him a badge of honour as a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. He has also been conferred the ‘Otuekong’ traditional title, which makes him a decorated General of Ikot Ekpene, the headquarters of Annang land in Akwa Ibom state.
Nya-Etok forayed into elective politics in 2007 when he became one of the aspirants that sought to clinch the ticket of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its primaries prior to governorship election. In 2010 Arc. Nya-Etok officially left the PDP and became non-partisan until 2016 when he was instrumental to founding the Young Democratic Party (YDP). He served as the Pioneer National Chairman of the YDP and subsequently handed over the chairmanship to the younger ones.
