eWorld, OAU honour ICT icons

The Lagos branch of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Alumni Association and eWorld, an Information Technology (IT) entity, have honoured 12 outstanding industry icons with awards for their roles in nation building, through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The awardees who have distinguished themselves in their ICT careers have variously played significant roles in driving ICT growth and national development.

They include the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe; Director General, Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Professor Cleopas Angaye, President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Group chief executive, Omatek Computers Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki; her counterpart at MainOne Technologies, Mrs. Funke Opeke.

Others include the chief executive of Chams Plc, Mr. Demola Aladekomo; Chairman, Linkserve, Mr. Chima Onyekwere; Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of MTN, Karl Toriola; Managing Director of Bi-TraxAxxent, Mrs. Bunmi Afolabi; Managing Director of New Horizons, Tim Akano; Nigeria’s first ICT youth ambassador, Gbenga Sesan; and the Commandant of the Army Signal Corp, Major-General Udom.

Chairman of the award nite and Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Michael Faborede, said he was proud to be part of the award ceremony where men and women who have been properly groomed by the university at various levels of their degrees, were being honoured for outstanding performances in nation building through the use of ICT.

“This is an honour, not only to the awardees, but also to the management and staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, for the world-class training given to the awardees during that course of study at the University,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude to the organisers for the honour, stressing that they truly deserved to be honoured.

Prof. Faborede disclosed that the statistics of ICT drivers in the country, showed OAU alumni dominated the ICT industry in the country and they have contributed immensely to the growth and development of the nation.

Equally, he said, OAU had been in the forefront of ICT studies and had pioneered the Internet Laboratory Studies, and established ICT parks in Ille Ife while enjoin stakeholder to support this OAU mission and vision.

Highlight of the award night was the launch of eWorld magazine focusing on the views of the awardees described as worthy ambassadors, and published by Nigeria’s pioneer Communications Journalist, Aaron Ukodie, who also is an alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University.

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