Veteran ICT journalists and industry stakeholders have honoured Dr. Ernest Ndukwe with a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his 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).
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 Ndukwe's 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.
The journalists noted that sustained engagement with ICT journalists and support for professional technology reporting were among the traditions associated with Ndukwe's 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.
Key points
- Dr. Ernest Ndukwe was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to Nigeria's telecommunications sector.
- The award recognised Ndukwe's role in Nigeria's GSM revolution and his commitment to transparency and sound governance.
- The citation highlighted Ndukwe's tenure at the NCC, during which Nigeria's telecommunications landscape expanded significantly.
