Veteran ICT journalists and telecommunications industry stakeholders have honoured Ernest Ndukwe, former executive vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Nigeria’s telecommunications sector and support for 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 mark the evolution of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry and recognise individuals who contributed to its development.
Ndukwe served as executive vice-chairman of the NCC from 2000 to 2010, a period that coincided with the introduction and rapid expansion of GSM services in Nigeria. The award citation described him as a “regulatory statesman, institution builder, and principal architect of Nigeria’s GSM revolution”.
According to the citation, Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape expanded from fewer than 500,000 telephone lines to more than 80 million active mobile subscriptions during his tenure.
It said the expansion helped establish the foundation for wider connectivity and the growth of the country’s telecommunications market.
The journalists also acknowledged Ndukwe’s support for ICT journalism and his engagement with the media during the development of the telecommunications sector. His tenure at the NCC was marked by sustained interaction with specialist ICT journalists covering regulation, operators, competition and technological developments.
Aaron Ukodie, convener of the eWorldForum, joined other journalists and industry representatives in presenting the award.
They included Don Pedro Agabi, ICT broadcast journalist and CEO of TechyTV Network; Emma Okonji, online editor at ThisDay; Chike Onwuegbue, deputy editor-in-chief of Nigerian CommunicationsWeek and chairman of NITRA; 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 from the corporate affairs office of MTN Nigeria.
The recognition comes as the country marks 25 years of GSM services, a period during which telecommunications has expanded from basic voice communication into a wider digital ecosystem supporting mobile data, financial technology, businesses and other digital services.
