Anambra Wins BoICT ‘eGovt Solutions Implementation’ of the Year Award

Anambra State Physical Planning Board (ANSPPB) has won the Beacon of ICT (BoICT) ‘eGovernment Solutions Implementation’ award 2021.

The plaque was presented to the Barrister Chukwunweike Francis Maduekwe, executive chairman of ANSPPB at the 12th edition of the Beacon of Information and Communication Technology Lecture and Awards event held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on July 24, 2021.

Speaking after receiving the award, Barrister Maduekwe who is also the Special Adviser to Governor Obiano on Digital Economy, said:

“The board polled the highest number of votes in the category during the voting stage because of digital solutions it adopted in the State that reduced building approval processes/time from three months to one week or less”.

He noted that the process which was open to industry stakeholders and enthusiasts months before the awards was transparent.

He commended Governor Obiano for all his policies and programmes aimed at improving access to broadband Internet service in the state which according to him have huge positive impact on the people and economy.

Barrister Maduekwe informed that Anambra was among the first States in Nigeria to completely waive the Right-of-Way (RoW) charges for fiber optic cables and convened the first broadband stakeholders’ forum which was attended albeit virtually by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Pantami; Governor of Kaduna State, Nasri Elrufai; Governor Willie Obiano; UK representative, Facebook Team and other ICT and Telecom stakeholders.

Chike F. Maduekwe is the principal partner in the law firm of Custodes Juris Solicitors. He was called to the bar as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in August 1985.

Before gaining admission in 1980 to study law at the University of Nigeria, Mr. Maduekwe had had a three-year stint as a news reporter with the Anambra Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Enugu in 1977.

In August 2000, Mr. Maduekwe earned a Certificate in Financing Oil and Gas Assets from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP) at the University of Dundee, Scotland. Prior to establishing the law firm of Custodes Juris Solicitors in 1987, he had served as Legal Counsel with Texaco (Nigeria) from 1985 to 1989. His broad and multi-faceted professional credentials include offering consultancy and advisory services to numerous reputable national and international companies.

Mr. Maduekwe’s has an equally distinguished profile in the public service sector. In 2018, His Excellency Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State appointed him as Executive Chairman of the Anambra State Physical Planning Board (ANSPPB). In June 2021, Governor Obiano appointed Mr. Maduekwe to additional responsibilities as Special Adviser on Digital Economy to the Governor.

Since Mr. Maduekwe’s appointment as ANSPPB’s Executive Chairman, the agency has increased the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) it contributes to the Anambra State Government from N250 million in 2018 to over N1 billion in the 2020 fiscal year.

In 2020, the board launched its robust digital portal (www.ansppb.an.gov), phenomenally improving the ease of doing business in the State. In particular, the agency has streamlined and modernized the process through which prospective developers from any part of the world secure building approvals in the State.

It is a credit to Governor Obiano’s vision and Mr. Maduekwe’s leadership as Executive Chairman of ANSPPB that the Anambra State Government in March 2021organised the 1st Anambra State Stakeholders/Investors’ Conference on broadband infrastructure for accelerated socio-economic development of the state.

The theme of the conference, “Facilitating Broadband Access Through a Favourable Right of Way Regime,” was a response to the Federal Government’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030) and the National Broadband Plan (2020-2025).

Anambra State Government thus became the first State in Nigeria to rally stakeholders for a forum designed solely to address obstacles to broadband deployment and expansion.

Curated by Mr. Maduekwe, the conference attracted an array of stakeholders, including the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, the Government of the United Kingdom, Kaduna State Government, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Facebook and several other key global stakeholders who joined the conference virtually.

A particularly impactful policy move under Chike Maduekwe’s leadership at ANSPPB was the decision by the Anambra State Government to completely waive the Right of Way (RoW) charges for fibre-optic cable deployment in the State. Even though the national ceiling is N145 per linear meter, Anambra State Government took the visionary step of setting the fee at zero naira.

Mr. Maduekwe’s record of excellent service is also demonstrated by his longstanding commitment to the progress of his hometown, Umudioka, located in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State. He is, in turn, highly revered by his community.

In 2019, the community honored him with the prestigious chieftaincy title of Ide Isinmili na Dioka Ichi.

Mr. Maduekwe is happily married and blessed with children.