The Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Lady Helen Obareki, has hosted women from the 31 local government areas of the state to an end-of-year Christmas party, in appreciation of their support and encouragement.
The event took place on Wednesday at the Amphitheatre of the Christmas Unplugged 3.0 arena in Uyo. One of the major highlights of the celebration was the maiden ARISE Queen Contest 2025.
Speaking at the event, Lady Obareki said the continuous support and encouragement from women across the state had helped her achieve great success in the activities of the Office of the First Lady. She thanked members of the planning committee for organising the event within a short period and expressed satisfaction with its success.
She explained that the ARISE Queen Contest 2025 was newly introduced into the annual gathering to further promote the ARISE Agenda of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno.
Also speaking, the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, thanked Governor Umo Eno for creating programmes that celebrate women and for giving them opportunities to serve. She said this showed the Governor’s commitment to empowering women to rise to their full potential.
Senator Eyakenyi commended Lady Helen Eno Obareki for her creativity and praised the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Anieti Udofia, for the impressive setup of Christmas Unplugged 3.0. She also applauded all the contestants in the ARISE Queen Contest for their outstanding performances.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Hon. Inibehe Etukudo, said the event was organised to allow women relax, unwind and recover from the stress of the year, while also promoting their overall well-being.
At the event, contestants from 21 out of the 31 local government areas participated in the maiden ARISE Queen Contest 2025. Mrs. Brenda Akpan from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area emerged the winner. Hon. Ekomobong Nelson from Ini Local Government Area came first runner-up, while Mrs. Cornelia Ekaiba from Uruan Local Government Area emerged second runner-up.
The winners received cash prizes ranging from ₦1 million to ₦500,000, while other contestants received consolation prizes of ₦50,000 each.
Speaking after being crowned ARISE Woman 2025, Mrs. Brenda Akpan expressed her excitement and promised to represent Akwa Ibom women well in her new role.
Other activities that added colour to the event included carol presentations by Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket Senatorial Districts, dance competitions and the exchange of gifts.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of gifts by Lady Helen Eno Obareki to the Deputy Governor, wives of top government officials, legislators, council chairmen, female stakeholders and all women present. She wished everyone a prosperous 2026.
