... As Adenuga, Ovia, Belo-Osagie vie for ICT Centenary awards
The
President and Commander-In-Chief Federal Republic of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan has been pencilled for honour as the “Grand Commander of ICT Promoters
in Nigeria” during the ICT Media Centenary conference and awards slated for Wednesday,
8th October 2014 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Conference Centre, Abuja,
reports ITRealms.
The
event being hosted by the ICTMedia Initiative would have the trio of Hakeem
Belo-Osagie, Jim Ovia and Mike Adenuga.
ITRealms recalls that Belo-Osagie is the chairman
of Etisalat Nigeria; while Jim Ovia is the Chairman, Visafone Nigeria Limited
and Otunba Mike Adenuga, is the chairman, Globacom.
The
trio have been shortlisted to vie for the “Grand Investor in ICT 4 Development”
in the special recognition awards category.
The
chairman of ICTMedia Initiatives, Mr Aaron Ukodie in a statement issued in
Lagos by the organisation’s Director of Communications,
Mr. Olubayo Abiodun and made available to ITRealms said that
other deserving stakeholders in the ICT sector would be honoured at the one day
event, which includes a conference and award night during which the Secretary-General
of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Dr. Hamadoun Touré has
accepted to give the keynote address.
According
to Mr. Ukodie, in the other award categories, investors, companies, innovators,
pioneer efforts, products and services, regulatory milestones that have stood
out within the last century of Nigeria as a nation would be considered for
awards.
Some
of the award categories include: Most Outstanding Governor in usage of ICT 4
Development (North East, North west, North Central, South South, South East and
South West), Premier ICT Officer of The Federation, Outstanding Achievements in
ICT for Agriculture and Rural Development, Outstanding Achievements in ICT for
financial services, Outstanding Achievements in ICT for Legal Administration,
Outstanding Achievements in Software Development, Outstanding Achievements in
Hardware Vendors, Outstanding Achievements in ICT for Aviation Services,
Outstanding Achievements in ICT for Commerce, and the Most Outstanding Woman in
ICT.
Others
include: Most Outstanding CEO in ICT, Most Innovative ICT Company, Most
Outstanding Bank in ICT usage, Most Outstanding Regulator in ICT, Most Outstanding Public Sector CIO, Most Outstanding Software Solution, Most
Customer Friendly ICT Company, Most Outstanding e-Commerce Company, Most
Outstanding Insurer in ICT usage, Outstanding achievement in Advocacy,
Outstanding Achievement in Infrastructure Deployment, Outstanding Achievement
in ICT for Public Services, Outstanding Achievements in ICT for Broadcasting,
Outstanding Achievements in ICT for Identity Management, Outstanding
Achievements in ICT for Education Development, and the Most Visionary ICT Entrepreneur of the Century.
The
chairman of ICT Media Initiative stressed that individuals, corporates and
institutions that have contributed in no small measures to the evolvement of
the ICT sector as the biggest contributor to Nigeria’s global recognition are
the focus of these awards in order to motivate them for greater contributions to
the growth of the nation.
He
assured that winners in the different categories would emerge from a
painstaking process being undertaken by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the
non-government organisation.
Pointing
out that the BoT came up with names in the shortlisted categories for those who
have invested money, time, energy and ideas to make the ICT sector stand out as
the most strategic and iconic achievement by Nigeria in the last hundred years
of its nationhood.
Apart
from President Jonathan who through pro-active policy initiatives on the
national broadband plan, the cybersecurity national strategy and plan, as well
as micro and macro-economic policies that have sustained the growth in the
telecoms sector, and increased FDIs inflow, other Nigerians have also invested
creatively in the sector to compliment the efforts of the Nigerian government.
Mr.
Ukodie stated that the ICT sector has made significant impact on the lives of
the urban and rural dwellers as well as the industries and the farming
population. Specifically, he said that efficiency matrix in Nigeria had recorded
positive strides because of the contributions of the ICT to the lives of the
individuals, government machineries and the processes and procedures in the
private sector.
The
event had already drawn on substantial goodwill and supports from the private
and public sectors. The Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. (Mrs.)
Omobola Johnson, the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, the Director
General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr.
Peter Jack, acting Managing Director, Nigerian Satellite Communications
Limited, Mrs. Abimbola Alele, Director General National Broadcasting Commission
(NBC), Mr. Emeka Mba and the Director General National Identity Management Commission
(NIMC) Barrister Chris ‘E. Onyemenam have declared their supports for the
event. Others who have also endorsed the event include the immediate past EVC of NCC and Chairman of OpenMedia, Dr Ernest Ndukwe and Managing
Director of CWG, Mr. Austin Okere, chairman of Zinox Group, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh
and Mr John Tani Obaro, MD of SystemsSpecs.
Mr.
Ukodie said that the main theme of the
conference is: ICT in the Nigerian
Centenary: Matching towards a Connected Nigeria. “We have also slated other
sub-themes for discussion. One of the sub-themes is: Broadband, for a connected Nigeria and prosperity. The conference is intended
to sustain the current growth and momentum of discourses and actions that would
culminate in the cost-effective deployment of broadband. This fittingly
complements the efforts of the Federal Government as exemplified by the
inauguration of the National Broadband Initiative,” he said.
He
said that ICT Media Initiative is a synergy across three entrepreneurial media
groups namely the ICT Publishers Alliance (ICTPA) – comprising leading ICT
publications; Business and TechnologyNews Publishers Foundation (BTPF) - made
up of foremost business and technology publishers, editors and very senior news
managers across Nigeria; and Nigeria ICT Broadcast Network (NIBN).
Nenye Dom
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:Pix: Adenuga, Ovia and Belo-Osagie
