The southwestern Nigerian state of Oyo emerged as a top performer at the recent 11th National Council on Communications and Digital Economy (NCCDE) meeting held in Kano. The state bagged three major awards: best in human capital development, best in e-government implementation, and second runner-up in digital infrastructure advancement.
These achievements highlight Oyo’s pioneering status as a leader in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey, as remarked by the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on ICT, Mr. Adebayo Akande. For three consecutive years, the state has set standards for other states to follow through continuous adoption of emerging technologies and building a thriving environment for tech startups.
The awards were presented at the NCCDE meeting chaired by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. Top dignitaries, including the Governor of Kano State, the host, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and others, graced the occasion.
Mr. Akande dedicated the awards to the visionary leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde, whose steadfast support and policy initiatives have positioned Oyo as a front-runner in Nigeria’s digital landscape. He also acknowledged the efforts made by various stakeholders and his team at the state’s ICT agency that continue to introduce innovations improving governance, service delivery, and economic growth.
The advisor reiterated that these awards have set a high benchmark for other states to emulate Oyo’s citizen-centric use of ICT and enabling policies, contributing to the national digital economy goals.