Air Vice Marshal Ernest Eko Owai was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of 43 Regular Course where he graduated with a BSc Degree in Mathematics. He also holds a Masters’ degree in international Affairs and Strategic Studies. The Very Senior Officer has attended the mandatory courses in his Air Force Specialty as well as the required professional military education courses including the Junior Staff Course and Senior Staff Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji as well as the National Defence Course at the National Defence College, Abuja. Other professional courses attended include the Young Officers’ Intelligence Course at Apapa Lagos, Military Intelligence Officers’ Basic Course at Fort Huachuca, Arizona USA, Programme on Terrorism at George C Marshal Centre for Security Studies, Germany, the Joint Military Attache Course in Nigeria. Air Vice Marshal Owai has also attended the Defence Intelligence officers’ Course at the Defence Intelligence College, Abuja, Peace Support Operations Course for Senior Mission Leaders at the National Defence College,Abuja, United States Africa Command J2 Lake Chad Basin Directors of Military Intelligence Conference, Stuggart, Germany,  United States Africa Command J2 North and West Africa Directors of Military Intelligence Conference, Accra, Ghana  and Senior Executive Seminar at the George C Marshal Centre for Security Studies, Germany amongst several other courses.

The Senior Officer has held several command and staff appointments. This include: Intelligence and Admin Officer at the Directorate of Air Intelligence lkeja, Intelligence Officer, 631 Aircraft Maintenance Depot, Security Officer – Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command and Intelligence Officer 115 Special Operations Group, Port-Harcourt. Furthermore, the Senior Officer served as Instructor, Nigerian Air Force School of Air Intelligence, Group Intelligence Officer, 305 Special Mobility Group, Calabar, Group Intelligence Officer of 407 Air Combat Training Group, Kainji among others. He has also served as the Command Intelligence Officer in Tactical Air Command, Air Training Command and Logistics Command. He was also the Staff Officer Grade 1 Intelligence and Security at Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Deputy Commandant at the Defence Intelligence College Abuja,  Director of Air Intelligence at Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Commander,119 Forward Operational Base, Nigerian Air Force Sokoto   (now 119 Composite Group), Deputy Director Special Operations at the Defence Intelligence Agency and Commandant Nigerian Air Force School of Air Intelligence. Air Vice Marshal Owai was also the Director Special Operations (now Director Intelligence) the precedent Director at the Air Intelligence Branch on February 2022, he was Director of Intelligence at the Defence Intelligence Agency on 5 August 2022 and again served as the Director of Intelligence at the Air Intelligence Branch Headquarters Nigerian Air Force from 9 September 2024 to 29 November 2025. The Senior Officer has just been posted to the National Defence College Abuja as the College Secretary. He has also served at the AU Mission in Darfur and UN Mission in Liberia as a Military Observer.

Air Vice Marshal EE Owai is a Member of the National Institute of International Affairs and a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management. His military decorations include Distinguished Service Star (DSS), Meritorious Service Star (MSS), Pass Staff Course (psc), Fellow of the National Defence College (fndc) and Field Command Medal (FCM). He is married to Mrs Sandra Owai and the marriage is blessed with children. His hobbies include playing badminton and a little football as well as reading, news monitoring and meeting people.