The 2013 edition of the Nigeria Telecom Awards has been held in Lagos with Ghana’s Roland Agambire being decorated the continent’s Telecom Personality of the Year 2012.

The African Telecom Personality of the Year Award 2012 was bestowed on Mr Agambire for “his contribution to the promotion of access to ICT facilities by majority of people, mostly young people and the socially disadvantaged”.

The honour is also in recognition of Mr Agambire’s effort to create socio-economic growth among young people through the ICT.

The awards, which is in its 9th year, recognises the contribution of individuals and organisations towards the expansion and growth of the telecommunication industry in Nigeria and West Africa in particular and Africa in general.

The African Telecom Personality of the Year Award had previously been won by 5 African Heads of State with the Nigerian Minister for Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson winning it last year.

Mr Agambire could not make it to the awards ceremony and was handed over the award at a brief ceremony at the Rlg Communications Nigeria offices in Lagos by the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Telecom Awards, Otuba Biodum Ajiboye on behalf of the Director-General of the Nigerian Telecom Commission.

Ajiboye described Mr Agambire as “un-relented believer in Africa’s success”.

He said through his effort, more than 20,000 youth in the Nigerian state of Osun have become computer literate and economically skilled through a partnership programme between his Rlg Institute of Technology and the Osun State Government under which young people are trained on computer programming, software, hardware, mobile and computer repairs and assembling.

Mr Agambire who was on a two-day working visit to Nigeria expressed gratitude for the honour which he dedicated to hardworking young people on the continent.

He however expressed regret that too much lip service is being paid to the talk of Africans utilising and promoting African goods and services.

“If we do not change, all the economic plan and strategies of ECOWAS, AU, etc wont achieve anything,” he warned.

The annual Nigerian Telecoms Awards was organised by the Logical Media Group and was attended by icons in the telecommunications sector who were also honoured for their records of excellence since 2012.

Present at the ceremony were the Country Manager of Rlg Communications (Nigeria) Ltd, Tosin Ilesanmi and the Corporate Affairs Manager of Rlg Communications (Ghana) Ltd, Emmanuel J.K Arthur.