Engineer Ikechukwu Nnamani, managing director of Digital Realty Nigeria, has been honoured as the Digital Economy Icon of the Year at the 2025 Digital Innovation Awards (DIA), held at the Labadi Beach Resort in Accra.
The award recognizes his outstanding contributions to the advancement of Africa’s digital infrastructure, cementing his reputation as a transformative leader in the continent’s technology sector.
The Digital Innovation Awards, organized by InstinctWave, is one of Africa’s foremost platforms celebrating excellence in ICT and digital transformation.
This year’s ceremony highlighted the pivotal role of data centers and digital infrastructure in shaping Africa’s economic future.
Mr Akin Naphtal, CEO, InstinctWave described Nnamani as an exceptional driver of the continent’s digital economy,” commending his strategic vision and hands-on leadership in building critical data center infrastructure.
“Engr. Nnamani’s work has laid the foundation for Africa’s digital growth, making him a standout choice for this honour,” Naphtal said, adding that his influence extends well beyond Nigeria, impacting the continent at large.
Accepting the award, Engr. Nnamani expressed deep gratitude and dedicated the recognition to the Digital Realty Nigeria team, industry partners, and his family.
“This recognition fuels my passion to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation,” he remarked. “I’m humbled, but I see this as a call to continue driving innovation for the continent’s prosperity.”
Nnamani emphasized that the success of Digital Realty Nigeria is the result of collective effort, and he reaffirmed his commitment to fostering growth and innovation across Africa’s digital ecosystem.
The Digital Economy Icon of the Year accolade adds to a growing list of recognition for Nnamani in 2025. He had received the Datacenter ICON Award at the Africa Digital Economy Awards (ADEA).
These honours reflect his sustained leadership and vision in positioning Digital Realty Nigeria as Africa’s most interconnected data center facility and a primary peering point for the region.
Engr. Nnamani’s efforts have not only advanced Nigeria’s ICT landscape but have also contributed to the development of telecom and ICT infrastructure across multiple African countries.
His work has empowered businesses with access to world-class data center services, supported the localization of digital content, and attracted foreign direct investment into the region.
