Esther Ekong is an IP Examiner at Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Canada. Esther obtained her PhD (Law) at the University of Ottawa, Canada in 2023. Esther is a Nigerian who also  holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Benin, Nigeria and a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from the Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.

Prior to relocating to Canada for her PhD studies, she worked as a Research Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal studies, Lagos, (the Institute).She was as a member of the research team that produced the Restatement of Customary Law of Nigeria(2013) and the Microsoft Cloud Computation Research (2014).

Esther served as the New and Emerging Research Group (NERG) Lead, Open AIR and Graduate Students Representative, Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS). In September 2019 Esther was awarded 3rd prize in the Africa Portal “Women, Power and Policy Making” research competition for her policy brief titled: Gender implications of Geographical Indications for Ghanaian Shea butter.

Esther has published several articles and book chapters in publications of the Institute. She is passionate about women’s rights and empowerment and is the initiator of Chadash Phoenix Woman Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) set up in Nigeria, 2012. The NGO is focused on helping indigent women build capacity for small businesses and raise start-up funds for them.