Dr Bosun Tijani looks forward to collaborating with President Bola Tinubu’s choices to lead agencies on his watch as Nigeria’s Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (CIDE) Minister.
“I look forward to collaborating with them all as we work together to drive the renewed hope agenda for the good of our people,” Tijani says after Tinubu on Wednesday announced the appointment of five new and returning chief executives to fresh terms in office across multiple agencies under the Federal Ministry of CIDE.
The President’s new picks include Dr Aminu Maida as EVC / CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Mrs Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, MD / CEO, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) and Tola Odeyemi, Postmaster General / CEO, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).
Mr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi returns as DG / CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) while Dr. Vincent Olatunji returns as National Commissioner / CEO, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
“Furthermore, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s determination to maximally leverage on Nigeria’s proven technological and digital economic prowess to reposition the nation’s economy toward greater financial inclusion, the President has approved the appointment of a new Special Adviser to the President,” Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Media & Publicity Special Adviser to the President says. Idris Alubankudi was picked as Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy.
Bosun Tijani: We will work to realise President’s agenda
“I want to appreciate Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta and Engr. Tukur Mohammed Lawal, the outgoing heads of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Communications Satellite Agency (NigComSat) for their outstanding service to the nation. I would also like to congratulate Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, DG/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner/CEO, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) as they continue in their roles,” Tijani says in a post on X following the appointment.
According to him, “My hearty congratulations go to the newly appointed heads of agencies – Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, NCC; Tola Odeyemi, Postmaster General/CEO, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST); and Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, Managing Director/CEO, NigComSat. I also extend a warm welcome to Idris Alubankudi as he assumes his position as the Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy.”
The Minister also appreciated “the outgoing Postmaster General, Hon. Sunday Adepoju for his commendable service at NIPOST. I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”
Profiled: Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
Dr. Aminu Maida was appointed the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) by President Bola Tinubu, GCFR on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
Dr. Maida holds an MEng in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College, London in 2002, and in 2006, he bagged a PhD in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, United Kingdom.
Between 2018 and 2019, Maida completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship (FinTech Pathway) program at the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Maida led a dynamic team that ensured that all terminals used in the e-payment industry and all devices deployed in Nigeria would accept all cards issued by banks and other licensed card schemes without discrimination.
Until his latest appointment by the President, Dr. Maida was the Executive Director, Technology and operations at Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), the country’s central switch company owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and all licensed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria.
At NIBSS, Dr. Maida was responsible for holistically spearheading the technical and operational standardization of all devices deployed in the financial system in Nigeria for interoperability. Maida led a dynamic team that ensured that all terminals used in the e-payment industry and all devices deployed in Nigeria would accept all cards issued by banks and other licensed card schemes without discrimination.
Prior to his appointment at NIBSS, Maida was the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at the Nigerian-based FinTech Arca Payments Network and Senior Manager at Cisco Systems, United Kingdom.
As a seasoned technical professional with over 15 years of multi-functional and international experience in FinTech & Telecoms & Enterprise Technology, Maida between 2010 and 2014, worked as a Network Design Consultant at EE, part of BT Group, and one of the largest mobile communications companies in the UK. He was also at some point (2006-2010) a System Engineer at Ubiquisys, a leading company in intelligent 3G and LTE small cells, which is now part of Cisco.
Dr. Maida, a professional par excellence with a broad range of experience, making him technically strong and commercially aware, is married with children.
Profiled: Mrs Nkechi Jane Egerton-Idehen, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited.
She has worked in the telecommunications industry in Africa for more than 17 years. Her knowledge of technology, ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships, and skill to manage teams and create strategies to support growth and drive business are keys to her success.
On Wednesday, October 11, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) appointed Mrs. Nkechi Jane Egerton-Idehen as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited.
Nkechi Jane Egerton-Idehen is a tech executive, author and angel investor. She was the Head of Sales, the Middle East and Africa, Meta (Facebook). Prior to that, she was the Country Manager, Nigeria, and the Regional Sales Director for the West African branch of Avanti Communications Group PLC, a British communication company with a fleet of satellites in space. She worked in various roles from Technical, Sales and Management in the Telecommunication Infrastructure giant Ericsson. She also worked as a Cluster lead for Nokia Siemens Network in West Africa.
Mrs. Egerton-Idehen was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. She graduated with a second-class upper degree in Electronics Engineering in 2001 from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She furthered her education at Warwick Business School in the UK, where she received a master’s degree. She received an executive education at both Harvard Business School and Yale School of Management in the United States.
She has worked in the telecommunications industry in Africa for more than 17 years. Her knowledge of technology, ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships, and skill to manage teams and create strategies to support growth and drive business are keys to her success.
Being one of the few females heading key business areas in the tech industry has exposed Jane to numerous professional and personal challenges peculiar to women. Spurred by discussions with fellow female executives around the globe, she organised a forum at Ericsson in which emerging and experienced female leaders could support each other in developing their careers. The overwhelming success of the forum led her to found Women and Career, to reach women beyond her organisation and to support girls seeking careers after school.
In March 2020, she published a book, Be Fearless: Give Yourself Permission To Be You. She drew from her more than 15 years of experience as a telecommunications executive in Africa, to help women build lasting careers, especially in the male-dominated STEM industries. The book hit seven Amazon bestseller lists on March 17, 2020, climbing all the way to number one in the Business Ethics and Knowledge Capital categories.
Although she travels extensively, Jane continues to make her home in Nigeria.
Through her book and various initiatives, she has inspired and empowered women to excel in male-dominated STEM fields, making a significant impact on the industry.
Profiled: Tola Odeyemi, Postmaster General / CEO, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST)
Her team was responsible for the banking industry infrastructure transformation program that included an industry wide cash management infrastructure projects, financial infrastructure, and IT standards for the banking sector which constituted the basis of the Central Bank’s policy thrust towards a cashless economy.
Tola is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in government and regulatory roles, working at senior government levels both at state and federal levels in Nigeria on strategy development & implementation, policy making, and operations. Tola Odeyemi is currently the Head of Public Policy for West Africa at Uber Technologies.
Prior to this, she served as the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Environmental Trust Fund, and simultaneously served as the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos state Governor on the Public Utilities Monitoring and Assurance Unit (PUMAU).
In the span of her career, she has served as the Special Assistant to the Lagos state Governor on Global Outreach and Partnerships at the Office of Overseas Affairs & Investment (Lagos Global). She was also project lead for the South West region of Nigeria in the Shared Services office under the Banking Operations directorate of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Her team was responsible for the banking industry infrastructure transformation program that included an industry wide cash management infrastructure projects, financial infrastructure, and IT standards for the banking sector which constituted the basis of the Central Bank’s policy thrust towards a cashless economy.
A technology and policy advocate, she is a firm believer that the solutions to national challenges lie primarily in technology and innovation and her mission is to create a perfect synergy of technology and public policy. She is passionate about increasing youth and female participation in public service and politics, as she herself has been a part of three political campaigns at national and state levels. She has a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Morgan State University and an M.Sc. in Systems Engineering from the George Washington University.
