The immediate past Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe and Chairman, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) Board of Trustees and former Minister of Communications, Chief Olawale Ige, recently led the group of awardees at the 2011 Titans of Tech.
Also honoured at the event held in Lagos include the former Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Chief Vincent Maduka, Deputy governor of Plateau State, Chief Mrs Pauline kedem Tallen, as well as the pioneer EVC of NCC, and Chairman, NSL Consulting Limited, His Royal Highness, Igwe Ogbona Cletus Iromantu.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who chaired the occasion, Chief Adeyemi Ikuforiji, noted that the recognition was timely, as people should be honoured while they are alive and can enjoy the appreciation and adulation.
Don Pedro Aganbi, the secretary of the awards committee noted that the awardees have throughout their careers demonstrated a definitive history of innovation, consistency and passion for the development of ICT in Nigeria.
“In a lifetime service to Nigeria, you all made a difference. Your contribution in putting Nigeria in the global ICT map has etched your footprint on the marble of time and this must not escape full historical documentation” he said.
In the citation, Chief Olawale Ige, a Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) was described as a Telecom Bridge Builder.
Ige who attended the Polytechnic, Regent Street, London, was NITEL’s General Manager Long Distance Communications before assuming the post of Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister of Communications, a post he held until his appointment as the Director General in the same Ministry.
He was appointed the Honourable Minister of Communication in 1990, a portfolio that was later enlarged to include Transport and Aviation.
In over 35 years of working for government with over a decade in the top echelons, he is highly acclaimed as a bridge builder and manager extra-ordiniare.
He has extensive diplomatic knowledge and experience having occupied the role himself on numerous international representation visits. He regularly represents his home country Nigeria and Africa in summits all over the world.
Concerning Chief Mrs Pauline kedem Tallen, who was sworn into office on 29th May, 2007, as only the second female Deputy Governor in the entire Northern part of Nigeria, it was noted that her leadership traits were visibly prominent while in secondary school and after her studies there, she gained admission at the University of Jos where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology in 1982.
But it was in 1999 following her appointment as the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology that her outstanding contribution to technology in Nigeria came to the fore. Among other things, Mrs Pauline Tallen is the first female to ever hold the post of a Minister of Science and Technology in the history of Nigeria.
While in this office Mrs Tallen helped to formulate strategic plans to enable the ministry of science and technology accomplish its objectives and used her strong and wide political influence and contacts within the Legislative and Executive arms of Government to garner resources for the ministry.
Encouraging women, especially the girl-child to embrace technology, is another important role she played as a Minister. Her message has been that unless women embrace technology, they will not be able to advance economically and thus stand to become irrelevant in the 21st century
Engr. Ndukwe was referred to as a professional Telecommunications Engineer with over 30 years of international experience in the telecommunications industry, majority of which have been in senior management positions in private and multi-national telecommunications companies.
He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, an Alumnus of the Lagos Business School, a Fellow of Nigerian Institute of Management and a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering. Ndukwe served as the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission between February 2000 and April 2010.
His time at the Commission witnessed tremendous growth and transformation, which have resulted in the boom now associated with the telecommunications industry in Nigeria. The number of connected lined grew from 450, 000 in 2001 to over 70million in 2010 under his watch.
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