Organisers expand tech award to 11 African countries

 

The organisers of the CIO & C-Suite Awards Africa, Edniesal Consulting, announced on Tuesday the expansion of its awards to 11 countries, aiming to recognise and celebrate executive leaders driving technological innovation across the continent.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CIO & C-Suite Awards and CIO Club Africa, Oluwakayode Adigun, said the latest edition would surpass the previous edition.

According to him, the 5th edition of the awards will now cover Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, Zambia, and Nigeria.

The awards celebrate the achievements of CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, CISOs, and IT heads delivering exceptional results in their industries.

“Last year, we visited five African countries: Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, South Africa and Senegal. Then, after the feedback we had from different quartets, this year we decided to visit more African countries. So, this year, we are doing 11 and Nigeria,” he stated.

The awards ceremony will be held on November 30, 2024, at the Civic Centre in Lagos, featuring a conference and two sessions with industry leaders and innovators from across the continent.

Awards will be presented in various categories, reflecting different aspects of technological innovation and leadership excellence.

However, Adigun stated that the 5th edition would go beyond awarding the regular technical leaders.

The chairman stated that the awards would highlight leaders who have made significant contributions to their industries by leveraging technology for extraordinary business outcomes and fostering innovation.

He expounded, “We are looking at different executive positions that are involved in implementing innovations around technology.  What we are trying to achieve as an objective is to create a niche and ecosystem for the African community where we can have innovations that can compete with global companies like Microsoft and Cisco.” 

Speaking of partnerships, Adigun said, “It’s been a journey. We didn’t do this alone, we have partners, sponsors and collaborators across diverse sectors of society. We have banks, fintechs, and manufacturing companies in and out of Nigeria working with us.”

The Convener of the CIO & C-Suite Awards and CIO Club Africa, Abiola Laseinde, remarked that the expansion to other countries underscores Edniesal Consulting’s commitment to promoting technological advancement and leadership excellence across Africa.

Laseinde stated that the event includes networking opportunities, entertainment, business partnerships, and prospects.

She emphasized the global recognition of digital technology leaders’ transformative impact across different industries.

According to her, winners at the event will gain exclusive membership to The CIO Club Africa (TCCA), which focuses on upholding ethical standards, fostering growth, and facilitating knowledge sharing.

 “TCCA actively organizes round table meetings, seminars, and conferences to educate the public and sustain industry excellence,” Laseinde stated.

 The convener emphasised the integrity and professionalism embedded in the selection process.

“Everything we do in terms of selection is incredibly laced with integrity and professionalism. If you are going to project your winners, you expect them to compete favorably with others from other parts of the world. As we speak, ours is entrenched in a fantastic governance structure,” Laseinde stated.

“We have processes and standards that guide the selection, which has given us the confidence to expand. We are not the ones who select the winners; we have incredible judges with high expertise who assess every submission,” she added.

The Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Polaris Bank, Dele Adeyinka, asserted that the program has helped propel participants to be more innovative.