Sir Gabe Onah, PhD is a Nigerian politician and seasoned consultant in Tourism and Visual Culture, Carnival Arts, policy formulation and intergovernmental liaison who currently serves as Chairman, of Cross River State Carnival Commission, overseeing the organization of Africa’s Biggest Street Party, the International Carnival Calabar, and festivals since 2005.
Born in Ogoja on the 8th of May 1962 to Chief & Mrs David Onah in present-day Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State, he had his early Education in St Benedicts Primary School Ogoja and proceeded to the famous Mary Knoll College Okuku-Yala for his Secondary Education. Gabe gained admission to the University of Calabar in 1982 having spent a year in the then Cross River State School of Basic Studies Akamkpa. He duly graduated with a BA (Hons.) Theatre Arts in 1986.
Coming out of the National Youth Service Corps in 1987 where he bagged one of the outstanding Corps Members Award for his outstanding Contributions during the Corps year, he took up an appointment as a Teacher, a Profession he cherishes so much. However, he voluntarily disengaged from the teaching job after a short stint to pursue the Family business.
In 1990 he took a foray into Politics as party Flag bearer in the Yala Local Government Chairmanship Elections under the National Republican Convention (NRC) Party which was keenly contested but lost to the SDP Candidate. He returned to his Private Business until he was appointed Board Member of the Cross River State Science and Technical Education Board as Board Member 1 in the year 2000. In 2001 the then Governor of Cross River State, Mr Donald Duke appointed Gabe as Government Spokesman and his Special Assistant on Information. In 2003, he was deployed to the Department of Culture & Tourism and in 2006 he was appointed the Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, a position he held until the end of Mr. Duke’s tenure as Governor of Cross River State.
Considering his outstanding pedigree, in 2007 Governor Liyel Imoke appointed Gabe as Chairman of the Cross River State Carnival Commission with a mandate to Register Carnival Calabar Arts and Industry as a Trademark and expand it with rich cultural content and flair which he did with professionalism. Imoke eventually elevated him to the position of Special Adviser and member of the Cross River State Executive Council for Tourism Development to drive the Government Policy formulation in Tourism and Culture; a position he held to the end of that Administration’s first tenure. He however continued as Chairman of the carnival commission till May 2015 when the newly elected administration of Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade reappointed Gabe as Chairman of the Cross River State Carnival commission one more time to promote and actualize the hosting of the Miss Nigeria Pageant and the international carnival product as a platform for cultural diplomacy, a position he still holds till date.
Gabe has enhanced his long stay as a facilitator of the Cross River State Tourism Programme by acquiring Certificates in Tourism with Specialization in Tour Guiding skills and Destination Management from the famous Tourism Product Development Company(TPDCo) of Jamaica and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Certificate program and a Master Degree in Theatre Admin and Events Management (MA).
Sir Gabe Onah PhD, is a TEDx Speaker/Publisher, and a certified participant of the Tourism Product Development Company of Jamaica, Tpdco(Tour Guiding Skills & Train the Trainer), Certified UNWTO Destination Manager, and Tourism Digital Marketer, holding a PhD in Media & Theatre Arts Management.
With a rich background in tourism and cultural initiatives, Dr Onah served as the Pioneer Tourism Advisor for the Cross River State Tourism Initiative from 2001 to 2012.
It is upon Dr Onah’s efforts that Carnival Calabar has been recognized by a 2021 CNN survey on the official global list as one of The five largest carnivals organized by The Most Influential People of African Descent Worldwide ( MIPAD) alongside Rio Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Nottinghill and Toronto carnivals.
In addition to his advisory roles, Dr Onah’s expertise extends to life coaching where he guides individuals towards personal and professional growth. He has extensively researched the creative economy as a strategy for job creation and economic development, contributing significantly to the field.
Outside of his professional endeavours, Dr Onah finds joy in his family life and as a life coach to young people. Dr Onah’s multifaceted expertise, combined with his passion for cultural heritage and community development, underscores his commitment to shaping the tourism landscape,
fostering socio-economic growth and loves to teach/impart knowledge.
Listed in the Contemporary Who is Who in Cross River State 2019, some of his seminal and published works include among others:
1) Repackaging the Ikom Monoliths for Tourism- Gabe Onah, 2012.
2) Beyond Carnival Calabar & Festivals – Harnessing the Lucrative Opportunities in Creative Economy 2015.
3) WORLDWIDE & TOURISM HOSPITALITY THEMES (The Role of Government in Driving Human Capital Development in the Tourism Industry in Nigeria) Belinda Nwosu & Gabe Onah Vol. 8 nos. 2, 2016.
4) Carnival Calabar management for growth and sustainability: Implications for cultural Diplomacy, MA Thesis 2017.
5) How Carnival Calabar is shaping the Tourism Economy, Gabe Onah- Tedx Calabar Talk, 2018.
6) Carnival Calabar- A Chronicle of Themes, 15 years and counting… General Editor, 2019
7. Carnival Calabar as a Strategy for Economic Dev of CRS ( PhD Thesis 2023)
8. Towards the Effective Resuscitation and Privatization of Tinapa Film Studio for Economic Sustainability in Cross River State Nigeria ( Adora Charles & Onah Gabe 2024)
9. Developing a Tourism Model for Africa: Lessons from CRS ( in view)
Sir Onah is widely travelled and has led and participated in several Government delegations to Europe, The Caribbean, the Far East, Eastern Europe and America for Exchange and synergy Marketing sessions for the Cross River State Tourism Initiatives. His knack for excellence and hard work is founded on the principle of loyalty to constituted authority with a rare humble style that is unequalled despite unparalleled achievements recorded in his chosen career.
His excellent service delivery qualities can be seen in the manner with which he drove the Miss World Event 2002 as Cross River State Desk Officer, the development and formulation of the soar away Cross River State frameworks for the 32day Calabar Festival and Cultural Carnival as a vehicle for Tourism Development and Job Creation.
He is married to Mary Eneyi Onah and they are blessed with four children.
