Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice chairman and chief executive of the Nigerian
Communications Commission, (NCC) has won the Icon of the Nigerian Telecom Revolution award at the Nigerian Telecoms Awards.
Organizers of the award which held in Lagos, said it is a recognition award which encapsulates the contributions of Engr. Ndukwe, in putting Nigeria in the world map of telecom delivery through his outstanding management of the telecom regulations in the country that brought about the revolution that Nigeria has enjoyed in the area of telecom services.
Ndukwe was also noted to have contributed to the growth of the Nigerian economy through a very transparent regulatory process that brought huge investments to the country and created direct and indirect jobs and businesses in a manner that has never been witnessed in any sector in Nigeria’s history.
He was earlier in the year in South Africa, voted the Best Regulatory Personality of the year in Africa, a testimony of how his efforts in Nigeria has been recognized abroad, with some African countries visiting Nigeria on study tours about the best regulatory practices and processes.
The Icon of the Nigerian Telecom Award to the NCC boss, coincides with the commemoration of the 7th year anniversary of the launch of GSM services in Nigeria in August 2001, with Nigeria topping the African continent with the highest number of active lines at about 54 million connected lines by end of June, 2008, and also occupying a place among the top ten countries in the world in telecom growth.
This breathtaking growth was achieved only within seven years of launch of mobile services in Nigeria. Nigeria had only some 400,000 fixed lines and 20,000 mobile lines as at year 2000 when the telecom and electronic engineer was appointed for the first time in office.
