Ubong Essien CSP

Ubong Essien CSP

Ubong Essien, CSP is a Nigerian motivational speaker, corporate trainer, author, and communication skills expert. He is widely recognized as the first Nigerian to earn the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, the highest international accreditation for professional speakers, awarded by the U.S.-based National Speakers Association in 2006. Described by Brian Tracy as “one of the very best speakers in the world today,” Ubong Essien is currently the only Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) in the whole of West Africa. He is a renowned motivator and the publisher of The Achievers Journal. Ubong Essien is married and has children. He is also a Rotarian and a passionate advocate for youth development. He established the “Speak for Change” Youth-Voice Competition, a national program to develop public-speaking confidence in Nigerian secondary school students.

Early Life and Career

Ubong Essien was born in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. He earned a degree in Estate Management from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where his interest in public speaking first began during campus events. He was born and brought up in Lagos where he had his primary education before proceeding to the Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene, for my secondary education. He currently running a postgraduate program in Mass Communication department at University of Lagos. He also graduated with a third class in Biology Education from the University of Ilorin, he seemed destined for a lifetime in the classroom. In 2004, Ubong Essien founded the School of Eloquence in Ikoyi, Lagos. He is also the Dean of the public speaking training center known as The School of Eloquence based in Lagos and London. The institution is a training hub dedicated to the mastery of public speaking and presentation skills. It has since trained over 8,000 professionals, politicians, and media practitioners from across Nigeria and beyond. He has been in the human capacity building profession since 1999 and has worked as a speaker, trainer, facilitator and consultant to a variety of Nigerian organizations in both private and public sectors such as Total Plc, Lafarge Plc, Multichoice Nigeria, Guinness Plc, AIICO Insurance, Fidelity Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Nigeria LNG, May and Baker, First Registrars, Vita-foam Plc, NIMASA, Nigerian Shippers Council, Learn Africa Plc, Nigerian Tribune, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Voice of Nigeria (VON), Lagos, Edo & Imo State Governments, John Holt Engineering, UAC Plc, UAC Property Development Company, HP Nigeria, MDS, CAP Plc, etc.

Ubong Essien made history in 2006 when he became the first Nigerian to be awarded the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation by the National Speakers Association in the United States. The CSP is an elite credential held by less than 10% of professional speakers globally and requires rigorous documentation of speaking experience, earnings, and client impact over five years. He has hosted the weekly radio program “Motivational Moments” on Inspiration FM, and has also appeared on television shows such as Channels TV’s “Sunrise”, where he regularly offered commentary on leadership, youth development, and personal effectiveness. Widely known as “Nigeria’s Mister Motivator” for pioneering motivational television broadcasts since 2002, Ubong Essien is a recipient of the prestigious Success Digest Young Entrepreneur Award in the same year. He specializes in inspiring individuals toward personal and professional excellence, with a strong focus on public speaking training. He is also a member of the U.S.-based National Speakers Association (NSA) and the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).

Publications

Ubong Essien, CSP, is the author of several influential books and training manuals on communication, motivation, and leadership, including The ABC of Public Speaking, a foundational guide to effective oral communication; Speak with Power: 21 Keys to Winning Presentations, which provides practical techniques for impactful speech delivery; Pitch Perfect: Mastering Business Presentations, focused on persuasive corporate communication; Boost Your Brainpower, a motivational toolkit for mental clarity and personal productivity; and Professional Performance, a guide aimed at helping individuals achieve excellence in the workplace through communication mastery and self-leadership. Also includes books which are; Ubong Essien: The Challenge to perform, Speak with Power, Dare to Dream & Succeed, and The Gates' Way to Riches.

Recognition and Awards

I am a certified professional speaker and the only one in the whole of West Africa and Nigeria. It is a professional attainment bestowed me on at the Global Speakers Convention in July 2012. Ubong Essien’s accomplishments include being awarded the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation by the National Speakers Association (NSA), USA in 2006—making him the first Nigerian to achieve this global standard of excellence in public speaking. In recognition of his contributions to professional development and corporate training, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC) in 2014. He was also honored as Motivational Speaker of the Year at the Nigerian Events Awards (NEA) in 2019 for his enduring impact on personal and organizational transformation through motivational speaking.

Personal life

Ubong Essien CSP, is married to Mrs. Patience Essien, who is the registrar at the School of Eloquence. His parents were both entrepreneurs. His father ran an electronics business and his mum was a seamstress. He is also blessed with lovely children.

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See Also

• Public speaking
• National Speakers Association

References

1. Ubong Essien: I am first Nigerian to become Certified Speaking Professional (June 16, 2025). This Day. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.thisdaylive.com/2017/05/13/ubong-essien-i-am-first-nigerian-to-become-certified-professional-speaker/

2. Ubong Essien, CSP, Nigeria’s Mister Motivator and West Africa’s only Certified Speaking Professional and Dean, School of Eloquence (2018). Nigeria's Mister Motivator. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.ubongessien.com

3. Article on Speaker Hub without a formal title. Speaker Hub. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://speakerhub.com/speaker/ubong-essien