The occasion also heralded the formal institution of the African Hall of Fame by ICT magazine, IT & Telecom Digest. The award ceremony, sponsored by one of Nigeria’s telecom services, 21st Century Technologies, was an exclusive gathering of dignitaries from the Nigerian and international telecom sectors as well as some distinguished guests.

The award recognized Ndukwe’s stellar performance in steering Nigeria’s telecom sector to global reckoning; as subscriber base is currently estimated at 70 million, while foreign direct investment from 2001 till date has surpassed $12 billion, the Vanguard reported.

Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO), who was present throughout the duration of the WAFICT Congress, but had to fly back to his base and could not attend the dinner and special award night due to pressing engagement at the body’s London headquarters said via a text message: “Any award to Engr. Ernest Ndukwe by the Nigerian and African ICT community is most richly deserved.”

Prof. Pat Utomi who also attended Ndukwe’s investiture as the Pillar of Telecom in African at the first African Telecom Hall of Fame Award, described him as a friend, saying he was not surprised that Engr. Ndukwe was being honoured for his exemplary work in turning around the nation’s telecoms sector.

“For me, it’s pure joy to watch what you have done at the NCC,” he noted. Recalling a magazine feature on emerging CEO’s, which included himself, he stated that Engr. Ndukwe had turned out to be the individual who had impacted the society the most of the lot.