By 
The 4th edition of the Nigeria Tech Innovation and Telecoms Awards (NTITA), turned out to be a night of double attestations of excellence for the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Honouring NITDA at NTITA 2020 Honouring Alale of NIGCOMSAT DG NITDA and EVC of NCC Winners at NTITA 2020
The IT regulatory agency emerged as the winner for “Excellence in IT Regulations of the Year” and its Director General, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi was conferred with the award of “Public Sector ICT CEO of the Year 2020.”
The two awards will be a befitting testimony of an agency and its leadership who have in the last one year sought to lead the agenda for growth in the highly dynamic IT sector.
Abdullahi, who became the Director General/CEO of NITDA just over a year ago, is the youngest of all CEOs that have led the agency in its nearly two decades of existence.
He has had to grapple with challenges of regulation in an era of health pandemic, global economic lockdown and the consequent worldwide recession.
The 4h edition of NTITA, touted as the sector’s OSCARS, recognized Abdullahi’s sterling ability for rare regulatory dynamism putting focus on accommodation of IT trends and continuous stakeholders engagement in a way that has boosted growth and confidence in an industry perpetually in transition.
In the last one year, while pushing financial and regulatory support for big and small stakeholders in the sector in the face of the pandemic, Abdullahi’s NITDA has led the agenda for disruptive technologies including AI, blockchain, Big Data, etc.
Equally important is the continuous drive for digital capacity building across sectors in tune with one of the overall objectives of NITDA’s oversight-ministry: the Ministry f Communications and Digital Economy.
Not surprisingy, NITDA’s rcognition at NTITA 2020 also recognised its immense contributions towards achieving a digital economy for a Digital Nigeria.
The NTITA is Nigeria’s most prized IT and Telecom event. The 2020 edition spotlighted the country’s technology leadership, most promising innovations, companies and projects; and political leaders pushing the required willpower to foster right environment for ICT to flourish. It held as part of the commemorative events in the tech industry to celebrate Nigeria’s Diamond Jubilee.
Also same night in Abuja, during the event organized to celebrate organizations and individuals in the technology sector who have distinguished themselves exceptionally, Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State was conferred with the ICT Governor of the Year; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, was honoured with the award of “Digital Leader Of The Year 2020; Gombe State First Lady, Her Excellency Hajiya Asmau Inuwa Yahaya, honoured as the ICT First Lady 2020; CEO of NIGCOMSAT Ltd, Dr Abimbola Alale, was honoured with Female ICT CEO of the Year; and Director General of Plateau State ICT Development Agency (PICTDA), Daser David is Young ICT CEO of the Year (Public Sector)″
The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, similarly led a night of double awards for himself and the telecom regulatory agency. The honour list included Airtel, Huawei, Galaxy Backbone, Backbone Connectivity Network, Rack Centre and some other sector players.
