News
Dr. Obi Bags Life Time Achievement Award for Pioneering Digital Payment
Dr. Valentine Obi, founder and group chief executive officer of eTranzact Global was at the weekend in Lagos honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for pioneering end-to-end card and digital payments at the 12th Beacon of ICT Distinguished (BoICT) lecture series and awards.
Dr. Valentine Obi, founder and group chief executive officer of eTranzact International
The BoICT Lecture series, widely regarded as the most prestigious annual event available in the ICT industry in Nigeria, is designed to explore efforts to put Nigeria on the global information and communications technologies map.
And the awards are the Oscars of ICT Awards.
Dr. Obi was honoured for his contributions to Nigeria’s economy particularly in the electronic payment sector.
The event attended by over 80 chief executives of top companies in Nigeria had as it chairman Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and CEO, Medallion Limited; and Mr. Bimbo Abioye, second vice president, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), among others.
Muhammed Rudman, president of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) and chief executive Officer of IXPN and chair IPV6 Council of Nigeria, delivered the keynote address with the theme “5G: Exploring New Frontiers for Superior Service Delivery”
At the event, Dr. Obi was recognized as a champion for African Innovation in Technology and for establishing eTranzact businesses in Ghana, Cameroun, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom.
Dr. Obi, a tech-entrepreneur, is also the founder and architect of XCEL Inc, the newest challenger bank in London, United Kingdom.
XCEL enables users to open a full UK Bank Account (Sort Code and Account Number) in less than five minutes, with complete UK regulatory compliance of KYC and AML (Anti Money Laundry) processes embedded.
XCEL African roadmap is well on its course with some countries already signed on.
Dr. Obi, is also the founder of KYIARA, the first Factoring technology platform in Africa.
Kyiara, provides all the stakeholders in the factoring sector cost saving, convenience, secure but transparent means to conduct factoring business within the continent.
He has an extensive experience in Information Technology sector and has served in various capacities both locally and internationally as a project director of various IT projects, including World Bank assisted projects in different countries.
In 2003, Dr. Obi became the first African to receive the coveted Computerworld Honors Gold Medal of Achievement in San Francisco, USA, for innovative and visionary use of information technology to produce and promote positive, social, economic and educational change.
By this, his work is listed in over 150 libraries around the world, including Harvard, etc.
In January 2008 his company received “The Most Innovative Product of the Year” award from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Other awards received includes: 2012 Best Mobile Payment Initiative Award in South Africa; 2014 Mobile Payment Solution of the Year Award by LEAD Africa, etc.
Just after AfCFTA was signed off by the African head of states, Valentine was one of the two Nigerians appointed to the Advisory Council of African Trade Gateway (ATG) by Afreximbank in Egypt.
ATG is a vehicle for accelerating intra-African trade and ultimately support the attainment of the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
ATG recognizes the critical role digital technology will play in facilitating intra-African trade, boosting access to trade finance and diversification of African trade from commodities to manufacturing and services.
Our role in the Council, is to provide advice and guidance on the strategic ATG roadmap.
In addition to his love for technology and applications, Dr. Obi is also involved in the development of the educational sector, he is a pioneer member of the Board of Regents of Covenant University and a lecturer at the Word of Faith Bible institute, WOFBI.
As one of his give back to his community, he started JIL Foundation with his wife, to help the education of the less privileged around his sphere of influence. He is a Provincial pastor with the Living Faith Church Worldwide, a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) / World Presidents Organization (WPO) and a member of the Institute of Directors (IOD), Nigeria.
Dr. Obi holds a Doctorate degree from International School of Management, Paris, France.
He also holds an MBA from Instituto de Empressa, Madrid, Spain and an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, Boston, USA
mber of National Payment Technical Committee.
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Participants at the event
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Jim Ovia
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
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