News
Roll of Honours at Beacon Of ICT Lecture/Awards 2016

CommunicationsWeek Media Limited, publishers of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek online and print editions, last weekend, rolled out the drums to celebrate individuals, private and public organisations, as well as, startups, that have distinguished themselves in the Nigeria’s ICT space or different industries they represent.
The Beacon of ICT Awards are annual ICT awards recognizing organizations’ or individuals’ contributions to ICT development in Nigeria, and the world at large.
The award was established in March 2009 by Ken Nwogbo, a Nigerian columnist and founder of Communication Week Media Limited, publishers of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, a leading Nigerian information and communications technology newspaper headquartered in Lagos State.
The award ceremony was proceeded by a distinguished lecture delivered by Mr. Ayotunde Coker, managing director of Rack Centre, on the theme: “Data Centre as Kiln of Industrialization and Transformation”.
Coker stressed the importance of data centres to the growth of any modern economy and the need for local businesses to store sensitive data locally. He was of the opinion that this will have massive and positive effect on the GDP of the country.
With the Nigerian Army Band mesmerizing the guests with blends of highlife and classical music, the roll of honours were called, with Ayotunde Coker awarded the Nigeria CommunicationsWeek Man-Of-The-Year award; Engineer Lanre Ajayi, the ever vocal president of the Association of Telecommunications Company of Nigeria (ATCON), receiving “Life Time Achievement Award”; ICT Software Personality of the year went to John Obaro, MD, SystemSpecs; ICT Journalist of the year went to Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. “CFA” presenter, Tech Trends on Channels TV and Mr. Biodun Omoniyi was named the “ICT Personality Of The Year.
On Corporate categories, VDT Communications received “Bandwidth Company of The year Award”; as the “Internet Company Of The Year” award went to Globacom (Nigeria); Rack Centre received the “ICT Infrastructure Of The Year (Data Centre)” award; Vodacom Business Nigeria scored double, emerging “Cloud Services provider of The Year” and “Enterprise Solutions provider Of the Year”. Interestingly, “Software Company of the Year” and “IT Implementation & Support Company of The Year” awards went to FinTrak Software (Limited); Computer Warehouse Group Plc, took home, “Banking Application Of The Year (Finacle)” award.
Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, with a knack for education based software, they smiled home, “Indigenous Software Company of the Year” and the “ICT Innovator Of the Year” awards. Spectranet, offering smart internet for the home and office, emerged, “Broadband Company of the Year”, Business Connexion received the “ICT Solutions Provider of the Year”.
Digital Encode, a leading consulting and integration firm founded in 2003 that specializes in the design, management, and security of business-critical networks, telecommunications environments and other information technology infrastructure, emerged “Cyber-Security Company of the Year”; in same vein, Global Accelerex bagged, “ePayment Innovative/Value Added Services provider Of The Year; “ICT Clearinghouse of the Year” award went to Medallion Communications Limited; Path Solutions received, “Islamic Banking Solution Provider Of The Year”. While CNSSL Call Centre Limted was named the “BPO Operator Of The Year”, OLX Nigeria was named the “Classified Ad Website Of The Year”.
The Logistics Company for the World, DHL received, “Courier Operator Of The Year”; Dataflex are the receivers of “ICT Company of the Year” and McAfree and SSL received the “Information Security Product of the Year”.
Oradian, a Fintech company behind Instafin, the multi-award winning core-banking platform that built a solution to the challenges faced by Microfinance Institutions around the globe, was named the “Most Innovative Core-Microfinance Banking Platform Of The Year”; Zenith Bank received the “eBank Of The Year”; Internet Solutions- “Internet Service Provider Of The Year”; 21St Century Technologies- “Technology Company Of The Year”; Sophos Group Plc, which tackles IT security challenges with clarity and confidence, emerged, “Information Security (Hardware) Provider Of The Year”; Wi-Pay Technologies won the “ePayment Solutions Provider Of The Year”; Resourcery emerged the “ICT Business Integrator Of The Year”; while Phase3 Telecoms won the “Fibre Optic Company of The Year”.
Wakanow.com won the “Travelers Portal Of The Year”; Infinix Mobility smiled home with the “Mobile Phone Of The Year” following the achievements in Nigerian smartphone market since launch in 2013 and the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTbank) emerged the “Mobile Money Operating Bank Of The Year”.
Speaking on the awards, Mr. Ken Nwogbo, publisher/editor in-chief, CommunicationsWeek Media, said that the Beacon of ICT Distinguished Lecture and awards was designed to explore efforts to put Nigeria on the global information and communications technologies map.
He said that the awardees have demonstrated some levels of expertise, and distinguished themselves in the industries they represent, “as reflected in the online voting process. Even those that were given special awards was because they lived above competitions. We are very proud of the awardees”.
He added that CommunicationsWeek Media Limited will continue to support the development enterprises and human capital in Nigeria.
News
CSCS Inaugurates Custodian Portal to Enhance Digital Access, Operational Efficiency

Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure provider, has launched its Custodian Portal, a user-centric digital solution designed to optimise custodian operations through intuitive, secure and efficient features.
Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CSCS, announced this in a statement on Monday.
The CSCS is a Public Limited Company with a diversified shareholder base, which serves as the Central Securities Depository for the Nigerian Capital Market.
It serves as the Central Depository for Equities, Commercial Papers, Corporate Bonds, Sub-National Bonds, certain Sovereign Bonds like the FGN Sukuk and the FGN Savings Bond, Equity-traded Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Mutual funds and Commodities.
Jalo-Waziri said that the custodian portal offered a streamlined experience for market participants with powerful tools that facilitate comprehensive portfolio and trade management, document tracking, share transfer operations, client symbol search, and real-time access to vital data.
He explained that the portal, designed to operate through a flexible subscription-based model, empowered users to manage their records effortlessly and securely through convenient payment channels such as GTPay and Paystack.
According to him, “Digital transformation remains at the core of our strategy to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of Nigeria’s capital market services.
“The custodian portal is a significant leap in that direction, offering custodians a centralised platform to manage critical processes in real-time.
“We are excited about the value this innovation brings to our stakeholders, and we will continue to evolve the platform in line with users’ needs and industry trends.”
The CEO also explained that the portal was designed with user experience in mind with feature tools like portfolio viewing and downloads in PDF or Excel format.
He further said that it also featured tracking of stock movements across date ranges, inbox messaging and request tracking, as well as robust user management capabilities including role assignment and status tracking.
Similarly, the Divisional Head, Business Technology and Digital Innovation, CSCS Plc, Tobe Nnadozie, said that the portal aligned with CSCS’s drive to automate the market.
“In addition to the normal features, the platform is a part of an omnichannel platform for custodians, and includes API services.
“It also connects to the market-wide workflow, which CSCS has built to ensure secured communication and approvals across all major stakeholders in the market.
“The platform is well secured with best-of-breed cybersecurity solutions and our SOC,” he said.
The Custodian Portal reinforces CSCS’s commitment to leveraging technology to streamline back-office functions and support a more agile, data-driven capital market ecosystem.
All custodians in the Nigerian capital market have now been successfully on-boarded on the Custodian Portal, marking a significant milestone in CSCS’s ongoing drive to enhance collaboration, standardise operational processes, and promote digital adoption across the market.
News
UN Appoints Sa’id, Nigerian to Nuclear Panel

In a historic announcement, António Guterres, United Nations secretary-general has named Professor Rabia Sa’id, a Nigerian physicist, to a newly established global independent scientific panel tasked with assessing the devastating consequences of nuclear war.

Professor Rabia Sa’id,
This appointment positions Nigeria at the forefront of a critical international initiative focused on the future of global peace, health, and security.
The independent panel, comprising 21 world-renowned experts, was constituted following the adoption of General Assembly Resolution 79/238, titled “Nuclear War Effects and Scientific Research.”
The body will deliver the most comprehensive scientific analysis in decades on the potential physical and societal impacts of nuclear war at local, regional, and global levels, including climatic disruptions, environmental contamination, radiological effects, and socioeconomic fallout.
Professor Sa’id, a distinguished researcher in atmospheric and space-weather physics at Bayero University Kano and co-founder of Nigeria’s Association of Women Physicists, will bring unique African and Nigerian perspectives to the critical study.
Her expertise in atmospheric sciences is expected to play a pivotal role in the panel’s examination of post-nuclear climatic and environmental changes.
This marks a significant milestone for Nigeria, highlighting the country’s growing influence in global scientific diplomacy and peacebuilding initiatives.
Professor Sa’id joins a select group of experts from 21 countries spanning fields such as nuclear science, radiation studies, climate and environmental sciences, public health, agriculture, and economics.
The panel has been mandated to produce a comprehensive scientific report by 2027, to be presented at the United Nations General Assembly’s 82nd session.
Their findings will provide crucial guidance to the international community on the long-term risks posed by nuclear conflict, revisiting the issue almost four decades after the UN’s last major scientific report on the subject in 1988.
In keeping with the resolution, the panel was carefully constituted to ensure global geographical representation and gender balance. Professor Sa’id’s inclusion is a testament to Nigeria’s scientific excellence and commitment to global peace.
The Secretary-General underscored that the panel will consult widely with international organisations, civil society groups, and communities worldwide, ensuring local and regional concerns are adequately represented in the final report.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed the appointment, noting it as “an important recognition of Nigeria’s voice in shaping a safer, more secure world.”
Professor Sa’id herself expressed pride in representing her country, stating, “Africa must have a seat at the table when global security and human survival are discussed.”
Other prominent panel members include scientists from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Austria, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Turkey, China, and others, reflecting a broad spectrum of expertise and perspectives.
As global tensions and nuclear risks resurface on the international agenda, Nigeria’s participation in this critical scientific endeavour underscores its continued advocacy for disarmament and a nuclear-free future.
News
GEFAS Launches Tech-Driven Hub to Mobilize Youth for Soludo’s Re-election

Geeks and Founders Alliance for Soludo (GEFAS) on Thursday 17th July, 2025 unveiled its new office space in a significant event that further strengthens the group’s mission to drive Governor Soludo’s “everything technology, technology everywhere” vision across Anambra State.
The unveiling was performed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, who could not contain his excitement and amazement at the level of sophistication of the facility and the vibrancy of the young professionals and tech enthusiasts behind the initiative.
Prof. Chukwulobelu commended the GEFAS team for building such a dynamic platform, uniting diverse sectors under a common goal to support Anambra’s digital transformation and Governor Soludo’s re-election bid at the November 8 Governorship Poll, without requesting a dime from the government.
He noted that their efforts reflect growing youth support for his administration.
“Our goal is to secure victory in the upcoming election and continue delivering good governance to the people of Anambra. Anambra is APGA, and APGA is Anambra
There is no vacancy in Government House come November 2025,” he added.
He urged GEFAS members to remain steadfast and resilient in the face of opposition, adding that the government would collaborate with and complement GEFAS to ensure its vision is further integrated into governance for greater impact.
Also present to lend credence to the movement was the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, who described GEFAS as a strategic and dynamic angle to the campaigns.
He lauded the initiative, stating that it exemplifies the power of digital tools in modern political campaigning and governance, and expressed optimism that a second term for Governor Soludo would unlock even more innovative solutions for Ndi Anambra.
In her remarks, Ms. Odili Jombo, a coordinator with GEFAS, shared the impressive results of the Alliance’s outreach so far.
She revealed that the GEFAS Call Centre, with its team of 21 dedicated agents, has already reached over 20,000 Ndi Anambra, gathering valuable insights on citizens’ sentiments about Mr. Governor’s performance and their disposition towards the upcoming elections, an experience she described, has recorded more positives than negatives.
She further announced that GEFAS will soon unveil a mobile WiFi bus, among other top-tier initiatives designed to change the campaign landscape and further position Anambra as a leading tech state.
The event was well attended by top government officials, members of the media, tech stakeholders, and other well-meaning Ndi Anambra, many of whom expressed amazement at what GEFAS has created and pledged unwavering support for them and Governor Soludo’s continuity at the November polls.
Explaining the passion behind GEFAS, the Convener and MD/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, CFA, described the Alliance as a continuity-driven force working to align with Governor Soludo’s vision of moving Anambra from a departure lounge to a destination lounge.
“We believe that together, leveraging technology, we can drive the real change Anambra truly deserves,” he said.
With this milestone, GEFAS remains committed to driving technology-driven engagement that delivers practical impact and amplifies the Solution Government’s transformational strides.
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