Early life and education
Essien was born June 13, 1975, in Ata Minya, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria. He attended St. Gregory's College, Lagos, and studied economics at the University of Port Harcourt. He graduated as the best student in the department and received the Madam Lillian Agbionenebo Memorial Award for Mathematical Economics. [2]
He is an alumnus of St. Gregory's College, Lagos and an outstanding graduate of economics from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In 2001, he was a recipient of the British Chevening Scholarship, from which he earned a master's degree in Financial Economics at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Career
DUE, as he is fondly called, started his career in the financial sector with Ventures and Trusts Limited (A Venture Capital firm) before joining the United Bank for Africa, and later NNB International Bank, before proceeding to the United Kingdom for his Master's program.
He was later headhunted from the United Kingdom to join Zenith Bank, from where he moved to Lead Bank as the Head of Project Finance and later resigned in 2004 to join MTN Communications as Regional Project Manager (South), overseeing the rollout and management of connect stores in the region. He left to set up Seed Media.
Seed Media is a technology start-up in Sub-Saharan Africa. A digital media pioneer in Nigeria, Seed Media Limited served as the exclusive online advertising representative for Yahoo! Incorporated in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He has been part of the successful implementation of some start-up projects such as Softel–The Moore-House, Lagos; Stark Industries, Ibadan; Best Oils, Ibadan; Le Meridien Ogeyi Place Hotel, Port Harcourt; Tinapa Business Resort Limited, Calabar; The Palms Shopping Centre, Lekki; e-Authentication project of the Federal Government of Nigeria, amongst others. These projects have largely defined his career as an investment management expert.
TVIO Solutions Group
Essien is the Group Chief Executive Officer of TVIO Solutions Group, an investment and advisory firm engaged in business incubation and multi-sector transformation projects. [3] Under his leadership, the company has participated in projects related to hospitality, real estate, technology, retail, and public-sector digital systems.
Through the firm, Essien has been involved in projects such as the Tinapa Business Resort in Calabar, The Palms Shopping Centre in Lekki, Nigeria's federal e-Authentication initiative, and various private placement and financial advisory transactions. [1]
Foniso
Essien is the lead founder and CEO of Foniso, a social networking and engagement platform for sports professionals, fans, and organisations. Developed by TVIO Solutions Limited, Foniso enables users to connect, share content, and create communities around their favourite sports.
The platform was launched in beta across 24 African countries and select European markets, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and France. The company said that Foniso seeks to bridge the digital divide in sports engagement by creating a centralised space for athletes, clubs, brands, and fans to interact.
The platform offers real-time interactions, personalized experiences, and monetization opportunities for athletes and sports organizations, redefining how sports are celebrated and experienced worldwide. [4] The app was publicly launched in Lagos in 2024 and described as a dedicated social-sports application intended to serve athletes, clubs, fans, sports organizations, and stakeholders globally. [5]
Foniso is focused on sports-related engagement and content sharing. [6] [7] [4]
In 2025, the National Sports Commission (NSC) — Nigeria's governing sports body, officially endorsed Foniso in a move to promote local sports talent through digital innovation and visibility. [8]
Other collaborations
In 2025, Foniso announced a partnership with the organisers of the Niger Delta Games (NDDC Games), scheduled for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Through this partnership, Foniso will provide a dedicated digital space for athletes, journalists, and fans participating in the Games, offering real-time updates, networking opportunities, visibility to a broader audience, and awards for top-engaged teams and content creators. [9]
Recognition
As of 2025, the platform has received official recognition from Nigeria's National Sports Commission, which endorsed it as a tool to improve visibility and career opportunities for local athletes. [12]
The platform has been described in media coverage as filling a unique niche, offering a “sports-only” space for athletes, clubs, fans and stakeholders, separate from mainstream social media networks rife with unrelated content, and promising a more focused and monetizable environment for sports content creators. [5]
