MEET THE NEW SECRETARY TO THE AKWA IBOM STATE GOVERNMENT, DR EMMANUEL EKUWEM

Dr. Emmanuel E. Ekuwem is an old boy of the Queen of Apostles Seminary, Afaha Obong, Abak and an alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University (former University of Ife) Ile-Ife. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Engineering Physics, Masters Degree in Physics, Masters Degree in Electronic & Electrical Engineering (Microcomputer-based Instrumentation and Control Engineering) and a PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Computer-based Instrumentation and Control Engineering). He did his Post-PhD fellowship research work (Computer-based Real-Time Data Communication in PSTN) in the Networking and Radio Propagation Laboratory of the UNESCO ICTP, Trieste, Italy.

He has worked briefly as Head of Engineering in the then Department of Meteorological Services (now Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET) of the Aviation Ministry before going on voluntary retirement at a very young age. While in the Aviation establishment, he won a “Ministerial Award for Outstanding Productivity.

Dr. Ekuwem has served in several capacities some of which are:

• Member of the telecommunications industry consultative and advisory forum of the Nigerian Communication commission (NCC).

• Member of the Infrastructure Policy Commission of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).

• Member of the Science and Technology Policy Commission of NESG

• Member of the Infrastructure sub-committee of the National IT Strategic Action PLAN.

• Chairman of Technology Development Company Limited (Hi-Tech development and ICT-based Industrial Automation).

• External Member of Faculty Board of the Faculty of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

• Chairman, Technical Committee of the Nigerian Universities Network (NUNet) and Nigerian Universities Management Information System (NUMIS) – NUNet/NUMIS.

• Member, Akwa Ibom State Technical Committee on the development of the Deep Sea Port

• Member of the Presidential committee on 419 on the Internet and cybercrime.

• Member of the Nigerian Cybercrime working group.

• Consultant to UNESCO (Nigeria office) on the IT component of UNDAF.

• He is a winner of the Third World Academy of Science (TWAS) award for Research on the effects of Meteorological phenomena on Radio Communication (VHF/UHF) in the lower Troposphere.

• Broadband Personality of the Year 2010 of the African Telecom Hall of Fame Award (5 Nov, 2010)

• Winner of IT & Telecom Personality of the Year (2005)

• Broadband Personality/ ICT Fame Award to mark the Nigerian Centenary Celebrations (2014)

• He is a Fellow of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)/TRIL Programme of the ICTP on Intelligent Real-Time Computer-based Data Communication.

• He has had Consultancy and Collaboration Activities with United Nations Agencies ( International Telecommunications Union (ITU), UNESCO, World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), UNDP, UNECA, World Bank, UNIDO, etc)

• He is a former National President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria, a Former President of the Nigeria Internet Group, and the Founder – and until recently – the CEO of Teledom Group.

As a mark of special recognition of the contributions of Dr. Emmanuel E. Ekuwem to the growth of ICT in Nigeria, then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in year 2001 identified him as the “most productive individual” and conferred on him the prestigious award – the National Productivity Order of Merit – NPOM.

He is also a recipient of the Albert Einstein Centenary Award, conferred on him by the Nigeria Insitute of Physics and also the prestigious Kwame Nkrumah Africa Leadership Award in the year 2005.

This meticulous, well-travelled, well-schooled individual is a true giant in the global ICT sphere and is easily one of the most authentic public intellectuals in our part of the world, with over 172 publications and presentations to his credit.
http://ibomtoday.com/profile-of-the-new-ssg-akwa-ibom-state/