About NITMA

National Information Technology Merit Awards – NITMA

NITMA is an annual event organized by Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) to acknowledge, celebrate and reward corporate organizations and individuals who are committed and outstanding in their various Information Technology (IT) practice and have also contributed immensely to the development of the profession in Nigeria.

NITMA 2020 Award Categories
Fellowship conferment

The grade of Fellowship is conferred to members who can prove his/her professional activities, justify his/her acceptance as an authority in his/her particular field of computing

Digital Governor of the Year

Awarded to a deserving and serving State Governor who promotes the use and adoption of Information Technology in the State.

IT personality of the year

Awarded to Information Technology Professional who has shown outstanding performance and has made significant contribution to the industry

youth innovation award

For distinguished startups who has created novel Information Technology Product, process or service.
The nominee must not be more than 30 years of age.

NITMA 2020 AWARD WINNERS

HE, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal

Executive Governor, Sokoto State

DIGITAL GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR

Bimbo Abioye

GMD, Fintrak Software Company

IT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

IT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Dr. Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director/CEO, Rack Centre Limited
Dr. Ayotunde Coker

Managing Director/CEO, Rack Centre Limited

Dr Ayotunde Coker has over 30 years’ international experience across Europe, USA, Asia and Africa.   He was born in Nigeria, went to school in Lagos, with graduate and post graduate university in the UK.

His distinguished career of 28 years in the UK, included roles at Ford of Europe, Senior Management Consultant Cap Gemini UK, CEO eMCSaatchi UK, Director Egg Bank UK, the first European Internet Bank, Global Applications Director BP, Chief Technology Officer UK Criminal Justice, and Group IT Director, UK Ministry of Justice. In 2007, he was Chair of the UK Government Enterprise Architecture Board.

He returned to Nigeria in 2009 as Group CIO of Access Bank, and then MD/CEO of Emerging Markets Payments, West Africa.  As MD/CEO, he has built Rack Centre to be a household name and a leading data centre brand in Africa with global recognition and numerous international awards.  He is Secretary General of the Africa Data Centre Association.

At Cranfield University in 1989, he won the Institute of Production Engineers Award.  In 2015, he was ICT Man of the Year and in 2019 ICT Personality of the Year in Nigeria.  He was presented with the Trailblazer Award by the Uptime Institute the global authority on data centre quality in 2018.  He recently received Distinguished Manufacturing Alumnus Award for 2020 from Cranfield University, UK.

He has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Wales, is an award-winning post graduate alumnus of Cranfield University UK, Fellow Institute of Directors (UK), Fellow British Computer Society, Honorary Senior Member Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.  He holds a PhD (Honoris Causa) by ESCAE University, Republic of Benin.

Since taking on the role as MD/CEO Rack Centre in 2014, he has led Rack Centre to become the first carrier neutral facility in Africa to be Tier III Constructed Facility Certified by the Uptime Institute.  Rack Centre has become the largest and most connected carrier neutral data centre in West Africa with over 40 carriers and ISPs directly connected and running the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria.  Rack Centre is now a household name, a leading African brand with significant global recognition.

Unprecedented for any data centre company in Africa, Rack Centre has won numerous global accolades, winning awards at the Datacloud Awards in Monaco in 2018 and 2018, Data Centre dynamics awards in London 2015, 2018 and 2019.  Rack Centre has consistently been Infrastructure Company of the Year at the BOICT Awards over the past 5 years.

In February 2020, Actis, the UK Private Equity firm on conjunction with Convergence Partners took a controlling stake in Rack Centre which has now commenced over $100m expansion to 13MW with 1.5MW of IT power available in Q1 2021, setting Lagos State and Nigeria as the Digital Infrastructure hub of West Africa.  Every country on the Atlantic coast of Africa is directly connected to Rack Centre.

Bimbo Abioye, Group Managing Director, FinTrak Software Co. Ltd.
Bimbo Abioye

Group Managing Director, FinTrak Software Co. Ltd.

Bimbo Abioye is the Group Managing Director, Founder and Co-Owner of FinTrak Software Co. Ltd. – an indigenous software solution provider in Nigeria and many African countries.  He has over 30 years of audit, banking, finance and information Technology experience, with deep practical subject matter expertise in financial processes, technology and business world. He has attended and facilitated several local and overseas training in Africa, U.K. and USA

REPRESENTATIVE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE 

Bimbo very deep practical insight into financial instruments dynamics, banking operations, enterprise performance reporting, enterprise financial reporting based on local and international standards having worked as Financial Consultant, External Auditor to Manufacturing and Financial Services Industry and during his career at Executive Management cadre in the Financial Services Industry worked variously as Chief Internal Auditor, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer and AGM in Charge of Banking Operations and Technology while working with a Discount House (Associated Discount House Limited now Coronation Merchant Bank Limited) and a Commercial Bank (Reliance Bank Limited now Skye Bank Plc).

 He is the Chief Solution Architect behind the design and development of many of FinTrak Software solution offering which include FinTrak ERP Software, FinTrak IFRS based Financial Reporting System, FinTrak Enterprise Performance Management System, FinTrak Banking System, FinTrak Credit Risk 360,  FinTrak Manufacturing System, FinTrak Underwriting System for Insurance industry, FinTrak Enterprise Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence and FinTrak eBusiness Suite. 

FinTrak Software is powered by a workforce of over 90 highly motivated employees inclusive of Four (4) Executive Directors and three (3) Non-Executive Directors. The company has deployed over 100 technology implementations across Africa.

Niyi Toluwalope, Chief Executive Officer, eTranzact International Plc
Niyi Toluwalope

Chief Executive Officer, eTranzact International Plc

Olaniyi Toluwalope (Awosope) is currently the MD/CEO of eTranzact International Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading payment technology companies.

Niyi is a highly accomplished, dynamic and results oriented Fintech Professional with solid credentials and a proven track record in formulating and implementing operational and financial strategies, identifying investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating multi-party transactions, establishing best practice financial systems, structures and processes, as well as building high performance driven organizations.

His over 22 year career spans Financial Technology, Investment Banking, Corporate Accounting, Corporate Finance, Equity Investment Advisory and Research providing qualitative and quantitative investment advisory and research to institutional investors.

He gathered his experience in global institutions including JPMorgan Securities Investment Bank, Citigroup and Credit Suisse First Boston’s Investment Bank all in New York City as well as PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Niyi has provided advisory initiatives to Fortune 500 companies on Mergers and Acquisition as well as Equity and Debt Capital Structuring. Some of the key companies he advised include General Electric, United Technologies, Danaher, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Dow Chemical, Sherwin Williams, Apollo Capital, Bain Capital, Georgia Gulf Corporation and a host of others.

He has a first degree in Accounting, and an MBA from the prestigious University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business. He Graduated as a Deans Merit Scholar and was appointed as a Second Year Investment Banking Coach for the first year students preparing for internships in Investment Banking. He was elected President of the Darden African Business Organization, (DABO). He was a part of the global business exchange program at IESE Business School as a student of the University of Virginia.

Niyi is an ardent sports lover, and a fan of Arsenal Football Club.

2020 DIGITAL GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

HE, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal

Executive Governor, Enugu State

HE, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu

Executive Governor, Lagos State

HE, Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa

Executive Governor, Delta State

PAST IT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Winner 2011

Leo Stan Ekeh

Chieman, Zinox Technologies

Winner 2012

Juliet E. Chiazor

Country Manager, Google Nigeria

Winner 2013

John Tani Obaro

GMD, Systemspecs Nigeria Limited

Winner 2014

Austin Okere

Founder, Computer Warehouse Group

Winner 2015

Florence Seriki (Late)

Founder, Omatek Computers

Winner 2016

Akpodigha Filatei

CEO Guarantee Turnkey Systems Ltd

Winner 2017

Yele Okeremi

CEO, Precise Financial Systems Ltd

Winner 2018

Peter S. Arogundade

MD, Sidmach Technologies

Winner 2019

Mitchell Elegbe

Founder/Group MD, Interswitch

Winner 2020

Bimbo Abioye

GMD, FinTrak Software Co. Ltd.

Winner 2021

Stella C. Chiemeke

VC, University of Delta, Agbor

Winner 2022

Funke Opeke

Founder, MainOne

HOW TO VOTE
  1. Login to your profile on the portal www.ncs-porttal.org.ng
  2. Locate the Menu “Voting Operations” and the sub-menu “E-voting”
  3. Click the menu “Vote” from the drop down menus
  4. Supply your e-mail address and telephone number
  5. Obtain the token from your e-mail box
  6. Proceed to view nominees, read profiles and cast your vote

LOGIN ENQUIRIES:

E-mail: taiwo@ncs.org.ng || WhatsApp: 08098647348

Photo Gallery
Venue

MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos

Date: Thursday, November 26, 2020

Time: 5.00pm prompt

RSVP: 08097744600, 09038353783