Meet Erhiatake

Her story

Niger Delta roots, a life of service

Rt. Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu was born on the 4th of May, 1980, in Sapele, Delta State, to a community whose aspirations, challenges, and resilience she has carried with her throughout a life defined by service, scholarship, and selfless leadership.

Her academic journey began at Field-Crest High School, Warri, where she earned her WAEC Certificate in 1997. Driven by a passion for healthcare, she studied at Bellerbys College, Brighton, and then Pharmacy at Liverpool John Moores University, before earning a BSc in Business Studies with Information Systems from the University of Buckingham in 2005. While at university she volunteered with OXFAM, an early expression of the humanitarian instinct that would define her public life.

Her commitment to learning never waned: an EMT qualification (Lifeskills Medical, UK), a certificate in legislative revenue management (University of Georgia), advanced leadership programmes at the London School of Economics and the Møller Institute, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, and a certificate in communicating for impact from SOAS, University of London.

The entrepreneur

Before public life, she founded Richard & Raphael Bakeries (2009–2011), a youth-empowerment enterprise that employed fifteen staff, and established RiraField Farms Limited, an agribusiness in Oghara that processes and packages food for export to the UK, US, and Canada, with capacity for up to 100,000 birds and an aquaculture section of some 30,000 catfish.

The humanitarian

In 2011, she founded the Starlite Hopes Initiative (SHI). What began with 60 volunteers has grown into a movement of over 500. SHI runs three free clinics across Ethiope West, including a 24/7 women's clinic and a children's clinic, alongside mobile clinics, UK-trained SHI GPs, free eye treatment, and the AMBUBIKES free ambulance service. The Ugbenu clinic has delivered over 200 babies, and SHI's clinics have treated over 15,000 people across Edo and Delta States. When floods struck, she mobilised SHI to deliver relief, skill-acquisition centres, and healthcare to displaced communities.

In public service

She served as Legislative Aide to Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa (2011–2014), then represented Ethiope West in the Delta State House of Assembly for two terms (2015–2023), rising to Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriations. On 13th June 2023 she was elected to the House of Representatives for the Ethiope East/Ethiope West Federal Constituency, where she serves as Chair of the House Committee on the NDDC and a member of the Committees on Agriculture Production & Services and Banking Regulations.

Colleagues and constituents describe her as a woman of uncommon courage, quiet determination, and genuine compassion, a unifier and a bridge between the grassroots and the corridors of power. Her story is not yet complete. Her best work lies ahead.