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| Engr. Dr. George Ndifon Abang |
Ukorebi Esien | September 9, 2025
New Yam Festivals across Africa and in central Cross River specifically in Bendeghe Ekeim is often a time for thanksgiving! A season where farmers appreciate the gods for rainfall and good weather that has led to bumper harvest. The New Yam Celebrations is usually a time of merriment, feasting, and cultural display.
In Etung Local Government Area this year's new yam celebration carried a new meaning in Bendeghe Ekeim! A meaning that stretched beyond the barns of harvested tubers. This new meaning came on the heels of families heaving a sigh of relief as Engr. Dr. George Ndifon Abang stepped in with educational succor , sponsoring WAEC registration forms and providing grants to indigent students through the Etung Students' Association Empowerment Programme.
For the beneficiaries, the gesture was more than financial support; it was a bridge between despair and possibility. "Without this support, I would have struggled to register for my WAEC examinations," one student said with gratitude. For parents already pressed by rising costs, Abang's intervention was a reprieve that reaffirmed their faith in community solidarity.
Abang did not choose a random moment to unveil his support. The New Yam Festival in Bendeghe Ekeim has long been a cultural rallying point, drawing together elders, chiefs, youths, and sons and daughters of the soil. By linking his philanthropy to this occasion, Abang revealed a philosophy he has consistently embodied, he showed that culture should not only preserve identity but also serve as a platform for growth and renewal.
In his visits to traditional chiefs and interactions with youth groups during the festivities, Abang demonstrated what many described as a rare balance: the ability to respect and celebrate tradition while at the same time responding to the pressing needs of today.
The Person: Scholar, Engineer, Farmer
Behind the public gestures is a man of impressive academic and professional standing. Abang holds a B.Sc. in Agricultural Economics, a degree in Civil Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Business Management. His profile spans the boardroom, the classroom, and the farm, giving him a unique perspective on the intersection of theory and practice.
Professionally, he has served as a civil engineer and infrastructure consultant, as well as a farmer and advocate for agricultural advancement. Within the engineering community, he has held leadership roles, including as a state executive of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISafetyE). His trajectory blends intellectual depth with grassroots connection, a combination that shapes his interventions in Etung and beyond.
The Persona: Philanthropist and Community Advocate
What distinguishes Abang, however, is not just his academic or professional laurels but the persona he has cultivated as a bridge-builder and advocate for youth empowerment. Through his Abon Abang Foundation, he has consistently provided scholarships, WAEC registration forms, and empowerment opportunities for young people across Etung.
Community elders hail him as a rare breed, someone who honours tradition while investing in the next generation. Youth leaders point to his ability to not only identify challenges but also provide practical solutions. "He is investing in the future of Etung as a whole," one said during the empowerment programme in Etomi.
A Template for Leadership
By aligning a cultural festival with an educational intervention, Abang has revealed a leadership template that speaks to both heritage and hope. The yam barns of Bendeghe Ekeim and the exam halls of Etomi are not disconnected symbols but linked expressions of a community in transition, anchored in tradition but reaching for transformation.
For many in Etung, the person of Engr. Dr. George Ndifon Abang is inseparable from the persona he projects: a scholar who remains a farmer, an engineer who remains a cultural son, and above all, a philanthropist who sees education as the true harvest of a people's future.
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