ENO ESSIEN;​UNLOCKING A DREAM LIFE 

At age 25, Eno Essien, the car tracking expert, founded Rheytrak Limited, a vehicle tracking and recovery company. But the glee of success was almost lost at 29 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now 42, Essien is enjoying the silver lining by helping others and living a life of her dreams, writes Vanessa Obioha 

​T

he guests who gathered at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on a recent Sunday afternoon were well-heeled, but more than their social status, they were united by the inspiration drawn from Eno Essien, the first licensed female to venture into the car tracking business. While her entrepreneurship is laudable, Essien’s resilience in her battle against cancer over the last decade adds an even more profound layer to her story.

Almost everyone in attendance was familiar with her journey, but rather than evoke pity, it inspired admiration and respect for the young lady who has remained unstoppable despite life’s challenges. For every lemon life threw at her, she made chilled jars of lemonade. Therefore when she decided to launch her debut book titled ‘Unstoppable: My Journey of Resilience and Overcoming Cancer,’ many turned out to celebrate her. 

Among the personalities who came to her book launch was Olori Temitope Enitan Ogunwusi who represented the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende; Nigeria’s first full Professor of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Professor F.A. Durosinmi-Etti; CEO, Smooth Promotions, Ayo Animashaun and veteran media personality, Adesuwa Onyenokwe.

Capturing her journey in a book seemed natural for Essien, especially as the daughter of veteran journalist Nsikak Essien, from whom she inherited a passion for writing. The inspiration, however, came from her participation in the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards, where she emerged as a finalist.

“During one of the meetings, we had only 20 minutes. to talk about ourselves and I couldn’t say everything I had done in 20 minutes. I left there feeling sad and I just thought maybe I should write a book.”

To be sure, Essien has spoken in different fora about her business and battle for cancer but with a book, she felt she could say more and inspire a broader audience. ‘Unstoppable’ contains 21 chapters, with 18 dedicated to her business and three focused on her cancer survival. She also revealed that two more books are already in the works.

The book serves as a launchpad for her philanthropic initiative. Starting in February 2025, women aged between 29 and 40 residing in Akwa Ibom will enjoy free breast cancer pre-screening, an initiative in collaboration with the Hopes Alive Initiative (HAI) aimed at raising awareness of the importance of early detection.

Aspects of Essien’s character were explored at the book launch, where her business acumen, faith, and penchant for excellence were praised. This same attention to detail was evident when this reporter visited her at her tastefully designed home along the Lekki axis of Lagos State.

Before we began the interview, she asked for feedback on her event, keen to know whether the flow was seamless or if her team missed anything. 

“Did you eat at the event? Did you network?” she inquired.

But Essien had little to worry about. Her impeccable taste and planning skills ensured that the event ran smoothly. This same elegance is visible in her home, tastefully designed and adorned with smart security features like a smart door and CCTV. As one ascends the stairway, they are greeted by frames displaying various publications about her.

“I used to tell myself that I will have a beautiful house and I will have a wall of fame. This was way before I ever granted any interview. It was four months after I moved in here that I realised that dream had come to pass. So basically, things that I have imagined about myself, I’ve seen come to pass. The mind is really very powerful,” enthused Essien, pointing out the power of words. 

Many examples abound on the various things she had envisioned  such as when she told her mother that at the age of 25, she would be famous. One notable instance is her desire to stand out in the crowd.

As the daughter of a journalist, reading newspapers and watching the news were routine in her family. She remembered reading about exceptional female leaders like Ibukun Awosika and imagining herself as an entrepreneur. The more she read about them, the more she believed that she would become an entrepreneur.

She ended up studying microbiology, although she initially wanted to study medicine.

“I wanted to be a medical doctor, and that was due to lack of guidance and counselling because you have to be a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse, an engineer at that time. But looking back now, I should have gone towards the art line.”

After graduation, she obtained a postgraduate diploma in Business Administration and later attended Lagos Business School. Her venture into vehicle tracking was sparked by a robbery at a friend’s home, which led her to establish Rheytrak Limited at the age of 25, becoming the first licensed female in the industry. Today, her company has recovered over 300 vehicles across Nigeria, Benin Republic and neighbouring countries.

Her greatest reward comes from recovering stolen vehicles.

“When your car is stolen, it’s not a good feeling. It totally turns you upside down. And then you reach out to us for help, and then maybe a few hours, or sometimes days, as the case may be, we call you to confirm details of your car and also tell you your vehicle has been recovered and that you can pick it up at the police station. Sometimes, we even take a step further by sending you pictures of your car. 

“The joy they express makes me so happy. It’s like the best thing that you can give me. No amount of money can equate to the joy that I feel.”

Essien credits the Nigerian police for their cooperation in recovering stolen vehicles. Beyond recovery, she also emphasised the role of tracking in ensuring family safety, although it can pose problems for couples in strained relationships.

With 17 years in the car tracking business, Essien found a lack of regulation as the most challenging obstacle.

“There are many quacks who operate in our line of business and erode trust. The business needs regulation.”

Just as she predicted to her mother that she would be famous in her twenties, by age 29, everything was going so smoothly until she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I had just emerged a recipient of the Future Awards. My business just turned five years old. I just opened a Port Harcourt branch.  Everything was just going good and then the next thing, you are going to die.”

At that time, cancer meant death to her.

“I didn’t know that one could survive it.” With the support and prayers of loved ones and her pastor, she endured chemotherapy, a lumpectomy, and the emotional toll of losing her hair. At first, she kept her diagnosis private, travelling to the UK for treatment. It took time for her to regain her self-esteem.

“If somebody sees me, you know, I used to have all those kinds of feelings, because I have a scar. But now I look back, and I’m like, what is breast? You are alive; even if they cut it up, you are alive.”

Even though she has survived cancer for over a decade, Essien admitted that there’s still a nagging fear that occasionally creeps in. 

“But I’m learning to speak to it,” she said assuredly.

She recalled the first five years after her recovery how she used to disturb her doctor at the slightest sign of illness.

“If I have a headache, I’m panicking. Oh my God. What is it? The same feeling when I drink Coke. Is it the sugar? They say cancer feeds on sugar. I would have back pain. The next thing I’m calling my doctor: ‘My back is paining me. Can I come? Can you help me check my kidney? Help me check my liver, check my status,’” she dramatised.

“At any slight pain, I’m calling him and I mean, God bless him. He never scolded me. He would encourage me. Sometimes, he turned it into play, asking me what I think it was and even asking me to come up with a solution since I have diagnosed myself. And in the process, we just started laughing. He’s always very supportive. He calms me down. He’ll say, this is not this. This has nothing to do with cancer, but if you want to come, come, let’s have a look at it, you know. And then I’ll go to the hospital. He’ll have a look at it. At the end of the day, he would just say to me ‘Go and live your life. Go and enjoy your life, you know.”

And that is exactly what Essien is doing.

“I want to live every day, offering hope to