NCS Commends Uwaje for NITMA Concept

The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), has recognized Chris Uwaje as the Originator and concept framework designer of the National Information Technology Merit Award (NITMA).

There comes a time in life when truth prevails, merit acknowledged and honour restored. Today, NITMA remains the most distinguished brand of the Nigeria Computer Society – towering above all other initiatives of NCS.

Without gainsaying the fact and diluting the narratives of the Nigerian Information Technology Development Ecosystem, Chris Uwaje stands out as perhaps one of the greatest Icon of IT-Nigeria.

Uwaje is blessed with the inalienable foresight and knack to see the Future-of-Things (FoT) in IT and drive it’s conceptual objectives and values to fusion. No wonder he is known and called “The Oracle” of IT Nigeria. His articulated and spoken words seem to be and indeed acknowledged as law within the IT Ecosystem.

He conceptualizes it, presents the architecture, proof of concept and processes which ultimately becomes the standard! For example Uwaje Pioneered the National IT Policy that led to the establishment of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in 2001. The NITDA nomenclature was defined and written by him and remains unchanged till today.

Not only that, in 1999 he transformed Computer Vendors’ Association of Nigeria (COVAN) into Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) which equally remains unchanged to date.

Uwaje went on to deliver the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON 1999-2019) as Co-Founder and Past-President. The ISPON brand of the Nigeria Software Ecosystem remains a distinguished brand. Uwaje’s passion to promote IT Nigeria into the world space is limitless and knows no bounds.

His architectural framework for the establishment of the National IT Merit Award and National IT Policy respectively speaks volumes and constitute an immense Intellectual Property (IP) that has propelled the development of the Nigeria IT Ecosystem – and by extention, Africa beyond superlative imagination. Against all odds, Uwaje is also acclaimed as having crafted the original document that established the Nigerian Women in Information Technology Group under NCS.

It is on record that Uwaje single-handedly designed and structured NITMA to life in 2003 but it took another 5 years (2008) before NCS approved the vision and commenced implementation in 2010.

Today, after 16 years into the history of NITMA, NCS has finally recognized the valuable work of Uwaje and bestowed him with a distinguished Award at the recently concluded NCS International Conference in Gombe.

Uwaje also pioneered the National Software (Hackathon) Competition, an annual ritual in Tinapa Cross-River State, Akwa Ibom SIT policy and many others.

Uwaje, by all impressionable standards is not retiring soon. Recently he was nominated as Africa Chair for IEEE Global Internet of Things (GIoT). He is Chair to many IT missions in Nigeria, Africa and the world. Perhaps, it is time for the Federal Government of Nigeria to honour Chris Uwaje – The Oracle – for his incredible pioneering works and services for the development of the Information Technology Development Ecosystem of Nigeria.