Business
NCC Appoints Oforitsenere Emiko as Interim Board Chairman to Drive Nigeria’s Tech Skills Transformation
BY NKECHI NAECGE -ESEZOBOR—The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has appointed Princess Oforitsenere Emiko as the Interim Chairman of the Governing Board of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI). This strategic move is part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to reposition the institute to meet the growing demands of Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
The announcement was disclosed on Monday in a statement by the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha.
According to the Commission, the appointment is aimed at strengthening the institute’s capacity to respond to the rapid transformation of the communications sector and the emerging requirements of the broader digital market.
Alongside Princess Emiko, the NCC named Engr. Abraham Oshadami, Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, and Ms. Rimini Makama, Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, as interim board members. They are expected to work closely with the President and Chief Executive Officer of DBI, David Daser, as well as other continuing board members whose tenures remain valid.
Established by the NCC in May 2004, the Digital Bridge Institute was originally created as a specialized training center for telecommunications and information technology.
However, the Commission noted that the sector has since transitioned into a wider digital economy that demands continuous skills development and advanced technical capacity.
The NCC emphasized that the restructuring of the institute reflects the vital role communication infrastructure plays in national development and economic sovereignty.
A major driver of this initiative is Nigeria’s youth demographic, with approximately 70 percent of the population under the age of 30, making targeted skills development a critical component of the national transformation agenda.
To address this, the Commission stated that the renewed focus of the institute will center on five key areas: education and training, research and development, innovation, economic impact and growth, and emerging policy and regulation.
This new strategy was developed through extensive consultations involving key public stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the Federal Ministry of Education, TETFund, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI). The initiative is ultimately designed to align DBI’s mandate with modern technological realities and strengthen Nigeria’s overall position in the global digital economy.
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HGL Real Estate Limited, a company with no significant digital presence, linked to billionaire tycoon Oba Otudeko, has acquired a 14.1 per cent stake in Lagos-listed hospitality provider Ikeja Hotel.
Ikeja Hotel “received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares,” according to a regulatory filing on Thursday.
Based on Thursday’s closing share price, the firm’s holding in Ikeja Hotel is valued at over N13.2 billion.
The share purchase places HGL Real Estate among the top seven shareholders of the company, second only to Oma Investments Limited, which occupies the pinnacle of the pecking order with a 25.8 per cent interest.
HGL Real Estate does not own or run a known website, which is odd for a company financially enabled to own shares worth several billion naira in another firm.
Even on the Honeywell Group Limited (HGL)’s website, HGL Real Estate is not mentioned anywhere among the subsidiaries, including among the group’s real estate subsidiaries, which comprise Anchorage Leisures Limited and Uraga Real Estate.
PREMIUM TIMES’ checks with the Corporate Affairs Commission, as well as the commission’s beneficial ownership register, did not return any information related to the company.
In May 2023, Honeywell Group announced the appointment of Kemi Adeoye, its chief financial officer, to the board of Ikeja Hotel as a non-executive director.
“As a member of the board, Mrs Adeoye will play a crucial role in representing HGL’s interest in the company and ensuring continued value creation for stakeholders,” Honeywell Group said at the time.
“HGL’s investment in Ikeja Hotel Plc is in line with its mission to create, build, and invest in great businesses that create enduring value and improve lives,” it added.
In 2022, Honeywell Group consummated a deal to sell its 71.7 per cent shareholding in Honeywell Flour Mills to Nigeria’s largest flour-maker, Flour Mills.
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The enterprise value of the transaction was N80 billion.
Mr Otudeko served as the chairman of FBN Holdings (now First HoldCo) from 2012 until 2021, when he was ousted during a board shake-up by the Central Bank of Nigeria for his role in what the regulator described as a breach of corporate governance.
Insurance Meets Tech (IMT) has unveiled its inaugural “10 To Watch Insurance Innovators” ranking, recognising Nigerian insurance companies leading the industry’s digital transformation through technology-driven innovation and improved customer access.
The ranking, developed by Creato Urban, assessed insurers using two equally weighted criteria: digital transformation depth, which measures the sophistication of technology infrastructure and automation, and market impact, which evaluates how digital innovations improve accessibility and reach for policyholders.
Heirs Insurance Group emerged as the overall leader with a combined score of 89/100, earning praise for its digital insurance experience centre, AI-powered customer services, automated claims processing, and expansion of insurance access to more than three million Nigerians since 2021.
Leadway Assurance ranked second with 85/100, recognised for its enterprise-wide digital transformation strategy, AI-powered claims verification, and innovative products such as pay-as-you-go motor insurance. SanlamAllianz Nigeria placed third with 84/100, driven by its nationwide digital agent platform and same-day USSD-enabled claims service.
The remaining companies in the top 10 are Cornerstone Insurance Plc, CubeCover, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Rex Insurance Limited, Enterprise Life Assurance Company Nigeria, Noor Takaful, and Zenith General Insurance Company Limited.
IMT also presented its inaugural “Most Promising Innovation Yet” recognition to emPLE for its cloud-based Data Lake platform, which aims to unify customer data across insurance operations and enable AI-powered underwriting, fraud detection, and embedded insurance services once deployed.
Speaking on the rankings, IMT Convener and Creato Urban Founder/CEO Odion Aleobua said the recognition reflects the Nigerian insurance industry’s gradual shift towards full digitalisation in line with regulatory expectations.
“This list indicates that the transformation of the Nigerian insurance industry is incrementally aligning with the growing demand for complete digitalisation of insurance services as required by NAICOM. The companies featured are taking the initiative rather than waiting for the industry to evolve,” Aleobua said.
The “10 To Watch” framework was developed by IMT’s editorial and advisory team to recognise insurers advancing technology adoption while expanding access to insurance across Nigeria. The announcement comes ahead of the fifth edition of Insurance Meets Tech, scheduled for September 18, 2026, at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The post Insurance Meets Tech Unveils Nigeria’s Top 10 Digital Insurance Innovators appeared first on Business Today NG.
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