Dr Jannie Zaaiman, Secretary General of TICON Africa, says that the panel had the difficult task of selecting winners due to the wealth of talent that was entered, with members carefully selecting those who they felt were worthy of the awards.

For the Tech Business Leader of the Year, six nominations were received from Benin, Kenya, Malawi, and Nigeria.

The award was bestowed on Brian Longwe, co-founder and CEO of Converged Technology Networks in Malawi.

An African Digital Infrastructure Expert, Longwe has been involved in projects across 20 African countries in broadband, retail, wholesale internet as well as long haul fibre networks, rural ICT and connectivity, and other technical aspects.

“Brian is a shining example of someone who not only believes that everyone should be able to benefit from having internet access, but also goes out there and implements his beliefs in a tangible way. He has connected Africans for more than 20 years and has also contributed to policy and regulatory aspects across several countries,” says David Gowu, President of TICON Africa.

TICON Africa’s ICT Professional of the Year was Christopher Lalusha, the Director of Information and Communication Technology for the National Pension Scheme Authority in Zambia.

Lalusha’s achievements included the ability to develop innovative systems, implementation of Enterprise Architecture and Cybersecurity frameworks that set new standard in ICT governance and security, as well as having achieved key performance indicators for IT stability and availability through digital transformation while CIO at Fidelity Bank in Ghana.

“Christopher is a perfect example of how ICT professionals can implement technology to digitally transform entities to ensure that they advance sustainability, not only for a company or government, but also to indirectly       enhance economic growth through making businesses more productive,” says David Gowu, President of TICON Africa.

Dr Zaaiman says, “Christopher has used his technical knowledge to be a positive role model in several countries and influence the workplace to the highest standards both professionally and ethically”.

The ICT young professional of the year was awarded to Edward van Niekerk, a Head of Department at Belgium Campus iTversity. Van Niekerk, who is passionate about ensuring that Deaf students reach their full potential, developed an ICT Sign Language Dictionary, which is continuously updated.

Van Niekerk also introduced the first Baccalaureate Degree for Deaf students, with the outstanding achievement of aiding six Deaf students in graduating with this degree in one year, a first for South Africa.

“Through introducing the degree, the first such qualification in South Africa, Edward broke down educational barriers, providing unprecedented access to higher education for the Deaf community. In fact, his ability to teach in a manner that is inclusive led to two of his students returning to Belgium Campus to lecture,” says David Gowu, President of TICON Africa.

Dr Zaaiman adds that enriching students’ lives through education ensures that they are equipped to enter the working world and have successful careers.

Eleven nominations were submitted for the ICT Young Professional of the Year Award from Angola, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

David Gowu, President of TICON Africa says the quality of nominations showcases the level of ICT skill across Africa. “Such amazing talent can only take our beautiful continent forward as we embrace such a rapidly changing environment.”

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF TICON AFRICA