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Enugu state, in the south east, is leading at this year’s Nigeria Tech Innovation and Telecom Awards (NTITA) which celebrates Nigeria’s most profound digital leaders,  business enterprises and states at the forefront of tech innovations.  Enugu has triple nominations with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi among the top nominees as ICT Governor of the Year. 
Nigeria’s most prized Information Technology (IT) and Telecoms event, which will hold in Lagos on Friday at the Oriental Hotel, also has the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as another top nominee for the prestigious award. 
The annual event which operates as a collaborative platform with stakeholders majorly from the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and the African Digital Economy Forum (ADEF) will confer Gov. Ugwuanyi with the coveted ICT Governor of the Year award. 
Interestingly, Enugu is also leading the list for Tech Innovation Hub of the Year (Mentoring & Capacity Building); and Emerging Leaders in Innovation/Tech Advisory (Public Sector). 
According to reports, “Gov. Ugwuanyi’s consistent leverage on technology and strong ICT policy-thrusts to rework the economic future of Enugu State has drawn much admiration, earning the south eastern state top spot in the national drive towards a digital economy.
“The state has multiple nominations in NTITA 2021 including Tech Innovation Hub of the Year and Emerging Leaders in Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) in Public Sector.” 
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In a statement by the Chief Executive Officer of InstinctWave, Africa’s premium B2B event and media specialists, Mr. Akin Naphtal, “Enugu is not an entirely surprising revelation. Unbeknownst to many people, the state has demonstrated strong focus on youth development and soft skill building. 
“It has one of the best strategic collaborative drives to provision digital infrastructure and services. In addition, it has a robust policy thrust for fostering entrepreneurs and delivering of the best ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in Nigeria that has been recognized by the World Bank and other global institutions. This has really impressed the 2021 NTITA jurors”. 
This year’s award categories includes Nigeria ICT Governor of the Year; Digital Leader of the Year; Public Sector ICT Woman of the Year; Public Sector ICT CEO of the Year; Broadband Oxygenator of the Year; Telecom CEO of the Year; ICT First Lady for 2021; Tech Innovation Hub of the Year (Mentoring & Capacity Building); Emerging Leaders in Innovation/Tech Advisory (Public Sector); Emerging ICT CEO for 2021; Most Innovative and ICT Focused State 2021; Most Innovative Operator 2021; and a host of other awards.
IT Edge News has a peep into why Enugu is drawing much commendations at NTITA  2021. Here are some highlights of why Enugu leads.
  • Enugu State has been more focused on youth development; soft skill building; tech-entrepreneur-centric support; policy-thrust to drive Ease of Doing Business; and strategic collaborative drive to provision Digital Infrastructure and Services.
  • Enugu has received credible recognitions from global bodies such as the World Bank and the Swedish based StartupBlink for its pro-startup policies and support
  • Enugu set up of Technology Hubs and Youth Innovation Centres as the singular kernel to kickstart Enugu’s march into the Digital Economy
  • The Enugu Tech Hub has become hub of hubs to help nurture tech ventures and ideas across sectors.
  • Enugu has continuously invested in skill development to empower citizens across social class and gender to become active actors in the NextEconomy.
  • Enugu is now globally ranked among Nigeria’s Top five Startup Ecosystems/Cities.
  • Enugu is promoting and sustaining its fledgling tech ecosystem with funding/support via a micro credit lending programme 
  • Enugu has a pro- Right of Way (RoW) challenge that has helped to open Enugu, and the rest of the country to new opportunities for infrastructure rollout.

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