Dr. Mrs. Theresa Ebia Omara-Achong was born on Wednesday 1st of June, 1966, to Lieutenant Commander Anthony and Late Mrs. Veronica Osang of Kakwagom-Irruan in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State-Nigeria. She is the eldest of seven children.
She began her early education at the Corona School, Apapa-Lagos (1969 to 1970); Command Children’s School, Ikeja Cantonment-Lagos (1970 to 1977) and graduated with a Distinction. She gained admission into the pioneer set of Command Secondary School, Ipaja – Lagos (1977 to 1982). She proceeded to the University of Calabar (1983- 1987) where she bagged a Bachelor of Science Degree in Botany (Phytopathology) with a Second-Class Upper Division. She later obtained a Master’s Degree in Botany (Taxonomy) from the University of Lagos (1990) and then a Ph.D. in Botany (Plant Physiology) from the University of Calabar (2008).
Upon graduation from the University at age 21,she was posted to Imo State for her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in August/September 1987. It was at this NYSC camp that she met her husband, CP Gabriel Omara Achong, then an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and a friendship was nurtured which blossomed into marriage on the 9t of December, 1989.This marriage is blessed with lovely children.
Dr. Mrs. Omara-Achong started work at the University of Calabar as a Graduate Assistant on the 31° of March, 1989, and later left the Services of the University in 1992 as an Assistant Lecturer to join the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, (RMRDC) in 1992 as Scientific Officer I. She was posted to serve at the RMRDC Cross River State Liaison/Coordinating Office, Calabar. She later headed the office as Liaison Officer/State Coordinator from April 1996 to November 2013 before she was posted to the Headquarters in Abuja. She climbed the rungs over the years until she became a Director in January 2017. She has headed such Departments as:
Industrial Extension Services Department; Agriculture and Agro-Allied Raw Materials Department; General Services Department; Investment Promotion and Consultancy Services Department and finally, the Director-General’s Office.
Dr. Mrs. Omara-Achong has travelled wide and attended several National and International Conferences and Training Workshops. She has over 18 Journal Publications and several Conference Papers.
Dr. Omara-Achong executed some ad-hoc responsibilities in the Council such as Chairman/Coordinator, Committee on Developing the Nigerian Beekeeping Industry for Honey and Duter Hive Products for the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries; Sub-Committee Chairman (Advocacy/Policy/Publicity) of the Committee on Development and Utilization of the Baryte, Kaolin and Lead/Zinc for the Manufacturing Industry; RMRDC Agro-Boosting Committee, etc.
Dr. Omara-Achong also became a Certified International Business and Social Etiquette Consultant in 2013 and was sometimes called, at her back “Madam May I” at the office because of her strict disciplinary standards. She is simply a“School on Wheels”.
She has continued Teaching, on a part-time basis, at the University of Abuja till today, where she serves as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Department of Botany of the University of Abuja. Her hobbies include Reading, Traveling and Mentoring.
Mrs. Omara-Achong is a devout Catholic and member of the Catholic Women Organization (CWO) as well as some other pious associations in the church. She has shown great interest in community development and is also a great advocate for women empowerment.
On the 31″of March 2024, Dr. Mrs. Omara-Achong bowed out of service, after 35 meritorious years, as the most senior Director in RMRDC.