Michael Essien a Ghanaian international. At youth level, he represented his country at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship and 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, with the latter team finishing as runner-up. Essien made his senior team debut in January 2002 and has represented his nation at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Essien has also represented Ghana at the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. Born in Accra to Aba Gyandoh and James Essien, Essien attended Gomoa Nyanyano DC Primary and JSS. He began his football career after graduating from St. Augustine's College in Cape Coast, playing at a local club
E. U. Essien-Udom of the Center for Development Studies; and member of the Governing Council, all of the University of Cross River State, Uyo, Nigeria (1984–86). With a political perspective inspired by Garveyism and Pan-Africanism, Essien-Udom (dubbed the "black power professor" by University of Ibadan students) was intensely public spirited and committed to institution building. He was involved in public service outside the university: executive secretary (1957/58) and then president (1960/61), All African Students Union of the Americas; leader of a delegation to the Pan-African Student Conference in London, 1960; non-resident tutor, Dunstan Hall, Harvard University; Master of Independence Hall, University of Ibadan