It is not every time that those who truly deserve recognition and honour get their due. Oftentimes charlatans and honour seekers, who parade the corridor of those who dispense such rewards, becloud sights such that those who have truly toiled and worked for the good of society are left unsung.
Too long has the one, the ICT industry calls the IT Oracle, Mr Chris Uwaje, been left unrewarded, unsung. Yet, all over the ICT industry we see his footprints and inputs that have helped chart the path the industry now walks.
For over 34 years, Uwaje has been contributing to the ICT and telecommunication policy formulation and the creation of institutions that are now working to put Nigeria on the IT map.
The story of the conception and drafting of the Information Technology policy that was promulgated in 2000, and the subsequent creation of Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency ( NITDA), the agency that the policy gave birth to, cannot be complete without the mention of Uwaje and the late Professor Gabriel Ajayi, who became its first Director-General in 2001.
Uwaje’s voice has been resounding, in propagating using the knowledge economy, which he termed the Brain-band, to improve on the GDP and well-being of Nigeria and its people.
For the past 30 years, Uwaje, who has unmatched insight into the future of IT for national development and the global trend, has canvassed for the Nigerian government to take the development of IT very seriously. At some point, he suggested that the presidency needs to have a Chief Knowledge Officer ( now Office of the ICT general of the Federation) that would help direct the president’s thinking and knowledge of the digital economy.
He was so full of this passion that he had to put the concept in a book form, which he titled: e-Knowledge—Time is running out. The book was published in March 2010.
His input are seen in the area of the cyber security bill and recently his call to the Senate Committee on Information and Communications Technology to urgently promote the enactment of National ICT Framework Bill to harmonise all ICT Acts into one foundation under the institutional framework of ‘The Office of the ICT General of the Federation.
Uwaje said the move became necessary in order to address the digital security challenges in the country’s cyberspace and the nation’s slow adoption of technology by corporate entities with special focus on the need and imperatives for innovation, leadership, policy-making and stake holding.
Though Uwaje has not truly been rewarded for all his works in the ICT industry, the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) decided recently that it was time honour be given to whom honour is due.
Because, for all that he has done, Uwaje has not been given the appropriate credit and due.
The NCS showed exception this month, when Uwaje was recognized in their key public outing in Gombe, as the Originator and concept framework designer of the National Information Technology Merit Award (NITMA).
Today, NITMA remains the most distinguished brand of the Nigeria Computer Society – towering above all other initiatives of NCS.
His architectural framework for the establishment of the National IT Merit Award and National IT Policy respectively speaks volumes and constitute an immense Intellectual Property (IP) that has propelled the development of the Nigeria IT Ecosystem – and by extension, Africa. Against all odds, Uwaje is acclaimed as having crafted the original document that established the Nigerian Women in Information Technology Group under NCS.
It is on record that Uwaje single-handedly designed and structured NITMA to life in 2003, but it took another five years (2008) before NCS approved the vision and commenced implementation in 2010. Today, after 16 years into the history of NITMA, NCS has finally recognized the valuable work of Uwaje and bestowed on him with a distinguished Award at the recently concluded NCS International Conference.
Uwaje is blessed with the inalienable foresight and knack to see the Future-of-Things (FoT) in IT and drive its conceptual objectives and values to fruition. No wonder he is known and called “The Nigerian IT Oracle”.
Apart from the NITMA, and the IT policy and the establishment of NITDA, Uwaj in 1999 transformed Computer Vendors’ Association of Nigeria (COVAN) into Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) which equally remains unchanged to date.
Uwaje was the co-founder and past president of Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON 1999-2019). The ISPON brand of the Nigeria Software Ecosystem remains a distinguished brand.
He also pioneered the National Software (Hackathon) Competition, an annual ritual in Tinapa Cross-River State, Akwa Ibom SIT policy and many others.
He was recently nominated as Africa Chair for IEEE Global Internet of Things (GIoT). He is Chair to many IT missions in Nigeria, Africa and the world. Perhaps, it is time for the Federal Government of Nigeria to honor Chris Uwaje – The Oracle – for his incredible pioneering works and services for the development of the Information Technology Development Ecosystem of Nigeria.
