By Abubakar Zakariya
Huawei Technologies Company (Nigeria) Limited has reaffirmed its dedication to empowering future technology leaders, fostering digital transformation, and supporting sustainable growth in Nigeria.
The Managing Director of Huawei’s Enterprise Business Group, Mr. Terrens Wu, made this commitment on Tuesday during the 2024-2025 Huawei ICT Competition Award Ceremony held in Abuja.
Wu emphasized Huawei’s mission to “bring digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected intelligent world,” while expressing gratitude to the company’s academy partners.
“The academy-industry relationship we share is a powerful foundation for building the digitally transformed Nigeria that we dream of,” he said.
Nigeria’s achievements in the global ICT competition remain unmatched, Wu noted. In the last edition, Nigerian students from the University of Ibadan won two grand prizes, while students from the University of Benin, Nasarawa State University, Federal University of Technology, Minna, and Federal University of Technology, Akure, secured three first prizes.
Wu revealed that the 2024 edition recorded participation from over 6,500 students across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria – the highest in Africa, Europe, and Latin America.
“This highlights the keen interest Nigerian students have in acquiring technology knowledge,” he added.
Huawei’s efforts go beyond competitions. Wu stated that over 500 individuals secured job and internship opportunities in 2022 through job fairs and Huawei’s ICT Academy programs.
“We look forward to organizing more job fairs to turn knowledge into a workforce,” he said.
Akere Sonny-Egbeahie, a Huawei IP Product Manager and graduate of the University of Ibadan, shared his success story. He credited the Huawei ICT Competition and Academy for preparing him to work with cutting-edge technologies like Wi-Fi 7.
“Huawei helped me adapt to the work environment, equipping me to deploy Nigeria’s first Wi-Fi 7 access point,” he said, encouraging students to seize similar opportunities.
Vice Chancellors at the event commended Huawei’s ICT ecosystem initiative. Professor Lawrence Ezemonye, Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors, described the program as critical to Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“Our determination to digitalize knowledge and intellectual property is not an illusion,” he stated.
Professor Kayode Adebowale, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, highlighted Huawei’s impact since the institution signed an MoU with the company in 2019.
He called for continued support, particularly in research collaboration, ICT infrastructure development, and talent cultivation.
Also at the event, awards were presented to outstanding academies, instructors, and students. Winners included: Best Huawei ICT Academy of the Year: Ahmadu Bello University, University of Port Harcourt, University of Ibadan, and others.
Most Supporting Vice Chancellors: Professors Kayode Adebowale, Lawrence Ezemonye, Faruk Adamu Kuta, and Kabir Bala.
ICT Competition First Prize Winners: Manuwa Bala (Network Track), Agwu Amarachi Njumobi (Cloud Track), and Erasmus E. Obeth (Computing Track).
Most important personality of the year, Team lead Ahmadu Bello University Huawei ICT Academy, Prof Mauzu Muhammad.
The Huawei ICT Academy currently have 198 partners in tertiary institutions across Nigeria, and have trained over 50,000 Nigerian students in 6 years, with more 10,000 certified students in various technology directions.
Huawei pledged continued investment in Nigeria’s ICT sector, aiming to bridge the digital skills gap and ensure sustainable innovation.
