Oyo-Ita Winifred Ekanem is a native of Adiabo community of Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross Rivers State. She was
born in April 1964.

Oyo-Ita had her secondary education at Queens College Yaba. After her secondary education, she got admission into the University of Lagos, where she studied and obtained a B.Sc in Accounting in the year 1984. She also holds a Master?s degree which she obtained from the Nasarawa State University.

After several years in the service of the government of the federation, Oyo-Ita Ekanem became the Director, Finance and Accounts at the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

On October 21, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the appointment of Oyo-Ita as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She also serves as the permanent secretary of the ministry of science and technology. Prior to her appointment as the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in April 2014, Oyo-Ita was the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Oyo-Ita is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).