" ITREALMS: Ajayi, Titi top 2011 NomCom selection

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Ajayi, Titi top 2011 NomCom selection

Nigeria has clinched two out of the eight leadership positions with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), according to the 2011 Nominating Committee (NomCom) chairman, Mr. Adam Peake.

He also said that his committee has completed its selections for eight leadership positions within ICANN formed in 1998, which coordinates Internet Protocol (IP) addresses as unique identifiers across the world, thus dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable, thereby promoting competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique identifiers.

Peake said that the two Nigerians who made the final selection process include the immediate past President of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) and chief executive officer, PiNet Informatics, Mr. Lanre Ajayi and Mrs. Titi Akinsanmi, a Nigerian youthful technology savvy professional based in South Africa.

He said that this year’s Nominating Committee received 88 statements of Interest from candidates all over the world including 23 female and 65 male; during its open nomination period from 17 December 2010 to 4 April 2011, from where the duo were chosen.

The latest selections, he said, would take up their positions after the end of ICANN’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dakar, Senegal on October 28, 2011.

He listed the regional breakdown of this year’s candidates to include 19 from Africa; 24 from Asia, Australia and Pacific; 14 from Europe, 15 from Latin America and Caribbean, and 16 from North America.

“We are very pleased to have been able to select such high quality people to join ICANN. They are a great group, bringing skills and experience that will serve the community well. It’s been a tough job, the NomCom had to choose from a very strong applicant pool, with many highly qualified candidates for every position, including a record number of female applicants,” he said.

Peake noted that after many hours of teleconferences and meetings, and then almost two and half days of discussion locked away in a room in Singapore, his team reached unanimous agreement on all the selected nominees and the overall slate that includes individuals from China, Germany, Jamaica, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines and United States.

He expressed appreciate to his committee for their hard work, adding that on behalf of all the NomCom he applauded all 88 candidates who gave their time and effort in volunteering to help ICANN.

The outline for the eight newly selected nominees, he said, comprise of two ICANN Board of Directors, namely Dr. Steve Crocker, United States, and Ms Judith Vasquez, Philippines, while the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) has Mrs. Titi Akinsanmi, Nigeria, Ms. Rinalia Abdul Rahim, Malaysia and Mr. Carlton Samuels, Jamaica.

The Generic Name Supporting Organisation (GNSO) council has Messrs Lanre Ajayi, Nigeria and Thomas Rickert, Germany, even as the Country Code Name Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) council Dr. Hong Xue of China was the choice.

ITRealms Online recalls that NomCom is charged with recruiting and selecting a portion of ICANN’s leadership, thus mandated to ensure that overall ICANN’s leadership is diverse in geography, culture, skills, experience, and perspective.

Peake further explained that the basic criteria was that selectees were people of integrity, objectivity and sound judgment, could support decision-making within groups, work effectively in English, have an understanding of ICANN’s mission and operation, as well as committed to its success, experienced in world affairs, contribute to cultural, professional and geographic expertise, and could work long and hard as volunteers in the global public trust.

He emphasised that NomCom evaluated over eighty-eight candidates, many of whom with exceptional qualifications in relation to the key criteria as set out in the ICANN Bylaws. With such a rich pool of candidates and very few seats to fill, the NomCom found itself unable to appoint all the applicants the Committee members would have desired to see on the Board and on the other bodies.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

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