Veteran ICT journalists and industry stakeholders have honoured former Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Ernest Ndukwe, with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award recognised Ndukwe’s contributions to Nigeria’s telecommunications sector and his longstanding support for the development of ICT journalism.
The award was presented at the eWorldForum and Book Launch, convened by Aaron Ukodie, author and publisher of eWorldnews.
The event brought together veteran ICT journalists and industry stakeholders to celebrate the evolution of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry and the individuals who contributed to its development.
Those involved in presenting the award included Ukodie; Don Pedro Agabi, ICT broadcast journalist and Chief Executive Officer of TechyTV Network; Emma Okonji, Online Editor at ThisDay; Chike Onwuegbue, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nigerian CommunicationsWeek and Chairman of the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA).
Others were Ken Nwogbo, Publisher of Nigerian CommunicationsWeek, and Ajibola Olude, Executive Secretary of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
The award was received on behalf of Ndukwe by an official of the Corporate Affairs Office of MTN Nigeria.
In the citation, Ndukwe was described as a “regulatory statesman, institution builder, and principal architect of Nigeria’s GSM revolution”.
It highlighted his decade-long tenure as Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC from 2000 to 2010.
According to the citation, under his leadership, Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape expanded from fewer than 500,000 telephone lines to more than 80 million active mobile subscriptions.
It said the development laid the foundation for the subsequent expansion of telecommunications connectivity and contributed to Nigeria’s emergence as Africa’s largest telecommunications market.
The citation also recognised Ndukwe’s commitment to transparency, competition, innovation and sound telecommunications governance.
It said his stewardship helped reshape the sector and establish a regulatory framework whose influence extended beyond Nigeria.
The journalists also acknowledged Ndukwe’s support for ICT journalism and his recognition of the media as an important partner in documenting and communicating developments in Nigeria’s digital economy.
It noted that sustained engagement with ICT journalists and support for professional technology reporting were among the traditions associated with his tenure at the NCC.
According to the citation, the tradition has continued under successive Executive Vice-Chairmen of the commission, making Ndukwe’s tenure an important reference point in the development of specialist technology journalism in Nigeria.
The citation described Ndukwe’s legacy as one of “leadership, service, innovation, and nation-building”, adding that his contributions continued to inspire the next generation of Africa’s digital leaders.
The recognition represents an appreciation of Ndukwe’s role in Nigeria’s telecommunications development and his contribution to strengthening collaboration among regulators, industry stakeholders and the media.
The event also formed part of activities marking the evolution of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, 25 years after the introduction of GSM technology.
