NTA honours Ekuwem with excellence award

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Teledom International Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, has bagged the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Channel 10, Lagos award for Excellence in Human Capacity and Empowerment.

NTA management made this recognition as part of its “Empowerment Expo Beyond Border” (EEBB 2010), held in the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, saying that it is for Ekuwem’s excellent contributions towards the development of Nigeria’s socio-economic sector that the institution selected him for the prestigious award.

Speakers at the occasion also emphasized the fact that Ekuwem always displays high sense of patriotism whenever national issues are discussed, just as he was described as an ideas-driven and issues-oriented nationalist, who places Nigeria’s interest above pecuniary considerations at all times.

They also noted that when it comes to matters of national importance, Ekuwem often views such issues with a prism colour in green-white-green.

Dr. Ekuwem who co-incidentally was the chairman of the EEBB 2010 which had in attendance many dignitaries including the chief host, Mallam Yusuf Jibo, Zonal Director, NTA Network Centre; His Royal Highness, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Oba of Lagos; Mrs. Aina Badejo, General Manager, Radio Lagos and Eko FM amongst many others. Ekuwem performed the official opening of the expo.

An alumnus of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife, Ekuwem holds the BSc in Physics and Electronics & Electrical Engineering respectively as well as the PhD in Electronic & Electrical Engineering. In the social circle, he holds the traditional title of “Obong Ifiok” (Chief Custodian of Knowledge) conferred on him by the Ibaka Traditional Rulers Council, Akwa Ibom State in 2002. This is in addition to various ICT industry awards and recognitions.

Beyond Nigeria, international institutions and embassies of foreign nations appear unanimous in their perception and appreciation of Ekuwem as a patriot and outstanding digital luminary.

In the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, Ekuwem is widely acknowledged as an Icon of ICT, a cerebral cistern, a delight at every ICT forum in and out of Nigeria. An orator par excellence, he is ever engaging and exuberant on variety of issues, especially wireless technology as a veritable option for growing communications access in Nigeria.

Reputed for his mentorship-driven and inspiration for counseling and motivating younger generation right from his days as vice president of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) before emerging the president as well as through his tenure as the national president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), which recently ended.

Ekuwem was appointed the UNESCO ICTP (Trieste, Italy) Regional Coordinator of Nigeria University Network (NUNET); visiting Consultant to the ICPT under the umbrella of the Aeronomy Laboratory Programming on Training and Systems Development in Networking and Radio Communication. Ekuwem was appointed consultant to UNESCO (Nigeria Office) on the IT component on UNDAF. He is a fellow of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)/TRIL Programme of the ICPT and on Intelligent Real Time Computer-based Data Communications.

A winner of the Third World Academy of Science (TWAS) award for Research on the effects of Meteorological phenomenon in non-ionized media in Africa, he held brief as Assistant Director (Technical Services) in the Aviation Ministry. And while in the Ministry of Aviation, he won a Ministerial Award for Outstanding Productivity. He went on voluntary retirement at early age to set up Teledom Group which today consists of Teledom International Limited, Technology Development Company Limited, Web Inn Limited and IT Mart Limited.

A staunch advocate of SIM card registration, quality of service (QoS) and local content development in the ICT sector amongst others, Ekuwem has created tremendous impact in Nigeria’s ICT industry, especially with his intellectual contributions to knowledge sharing in the ICT industry which have helped tremendously in stimulating the rapid growth of the sector.

Ekuwem who is well known for turning down many frivolous awards says the NTA excellence award encourages him to continue to fly the Nigerian flag proudly aloft in his continuous advocacy for the use of ICT for national socio-economic development, for meeting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), for National Security as well as for the actualization of Vision 20-2020.

He said his new gospel today is that of broadband in its ubiquity in Nigeria for the 2015 broadband harvest in preparation for Nigeria’s digital bouquet in 2020.

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