Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw was born in Calabar. He studied at the Stern School of Business, New York University (NYU), where he graduated with a B. Sc Cum Laude and later an MBA in Banking and Finance.

He worked at Chase Manhattan Bank and Citibank and became the first indigenous Managing Director of Agbara Estates Limited in 1984. Other public positions before running for the senate included Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire and Council Member of the University of Ibadan.

Bassey Ewa-Henshaw was elected as senator in the 5th (2003–2007) National Assembly representing Cross River South Senatorial District and was re-elected in April 2007.

In addition, between 2007 and 2011, he served as President of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), an international parliamentary organization affiliated with the United Nations with over 1000 serving members of parliaments from over 130 countries in all regions of the world.

He has authored the book, “The Bakassi Debacle” to describe the intrigue, manipulations and betrayal of Nigeria, particularly, the Bakassi people, by several acts including government officials in the course of ceding the peninsular to the Republic of Cameroon.