The recipients of these esteemed accolades, hailed as Captains of Industries and professionals who have significantly contributed to society and the business world, were recognized for their exemplary achievements and profound impact across various domains.

Among the IUIM honoured recipients were:

1. Colin Crooks, MBE, FIIM – Director of IUIM Africa UK/IUIM, Colorado, USA, recognized for his exceptional contributions to records management, freedom of information, and education and training initiatives across Africa and beyond.

2. Samusideen Ayodeji Abiola, FIIM – Managing Director/CEO of various successful enterprises, acknowledged for his thirty years of expertise in running businesses across diverse sectors in Nigeria and Africa.

3. Christiana Okenla – A standout leader with over 22 years of remarkable achievements in customer experience, management consulting, and strategic leadership, celebrated for her unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation.

4. Dr. Dayo Olomu – An accomplished Learning and Organisation Development Consultant and human capital development expert, recognized for his extensive contributions to leadership, career progression, and community empowerment.

5. Janelle Victory Clarke – A resilient individual who overcame personal challenges to become a beacon of hope and inspiration, honored for her outstanding contributions to healthcare, community service, and philanthropy.

6. Cllr. Sunny Lambe, FIIM – A distinguished Southwark Labour and Cooperative Councillor and community leader, celebrated for his exemplary commitment to equality, diversity, fairness, and social justice.

7. Ferdinard Senyo Lawson – An esteemed champion for health and safety, transformational leadership, and philanthropy, recognized for his extensive contributions to the healthcare sector and community empowerment initiatives.

Commenting on the prestigious ceremony, Dr. Oyedokun Oyewole, President, University of Information Management (IUIM), said that the selection of the recipients was based on rigorous criteria, including demonstrated impact beyond professional boundaries, global recognition, exemplary commitment to ethical practices, and professional standing.

The ceremony, held under the theme “AI Renaissance: Unleashing the Power of Intelligent Technologies,” featured inspiring keynote speeches, goodwill messages, and presentations promoting information management qualifications within and outside the Diaspora.

“With a good number of participants in attendance, including notable guests and dignitaries, the event showcased IUIM’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and global collaboration.

“The IUIM plans to leverage the recognition and achievements of the honorary doctorate recipients to foster future initiatives and collaborations aimed at advancing education, knowledge dissemination, and societal development”, Dr. Oyewole said.

The event, themed “Data Management Best Practices for Small and Medium-sized Businesses,” will celebrate and honour outstanding individuals in Nigeria’s data and information management industry, as well as leaders across various sectors of the economy.

HRM Oba Alayeluwa Saheed Ademola, The Elegushi of Ikateland, Tony O. Elumelu, Funke Opeke, Femi Otedola, Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, Funsho Doherty, Idowu Johnson, Adetola Akinola, and several other MDs and CEOs of major institutions, information management and technology firms, are among the dignitaries expected at the event.

According to Amb. (Dr) Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole, the President/Chairman, Executive Council of the Institute, “The Institute of Information Management has come to stay, and we would not relent in our resolve to ensure that the data and information management industry in Nigeria and Africa is fully developed, and professionals are adequately recognized and compensated appropriately. We hope to achieve this by developing standards, specifications, procedures, processes and certification programs. The Institute has over the years continued to identify and work with key stakeholders in society because Information Management is everybody’s responsibility and a key factor in the development of any Nation.”

Amb. Oyewole reiterated that the development of the information management profession cannot be over-emphasized. He noted that successful nations and organizations in the future would depend on how well they enable information to be appropriately managed by professionals, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, completeness, and preservation of information for better decision-making and use.

The ceremony will feature the conferment of the Institute of Information Management Fellowship on members who have made a substantial contribution to the development of the Information Management and Technology profession, its practices, or the Institute of Information Management itself.

IIM Honorary Fellows will also be recognized from other professionals with backgrounds outside of Information Management but identified as having made significant contributions that impact the profession or the Institute of Information Management.

Graduate, Associate, Professional, Senior Professional, and Corporate members will also be inducted during the ceremony.

In addition, the event will see the conferment of Chief Data Officer Ambassador designation by the Country Chief Data Officer Ambassador, Amb. (Dr) Oyedokun Oyewole, on individuals identified to have demonstrated exemplary leadership, achievements, and contribution to the development of the data and Information Management industry in Nigeria over the years. Rita Ndidi Amuchienwa, Charles Tamunopubo Iyo, Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Orumbie, and others will receive the award.

Finally, a newly constituted advisory board will be inaugurated at the event.

Established to serve the growing community of Data, Information, Records, Document, Knowledge, Content, and Archives Management professionals tasked with managing the dynamic information life cycle within the enterprise, the Institute of Information Management (IIM) is a professional education and membership-driven institute. The institute’s goal is to provide individuals and organizations across all sectors with objective insights and guidance in Data and Information Management and technology options.

The Institute of Information Management (IIM) is an Independent Non-profit Professional Institution Approved by the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), Nigeria, with the consent of the Attorney General of the Federation.

The IIM is registered with CAC (RC 1125723), incorporated under the COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990, and it is Limited by Guarantee.

The Institute International headquarters is in Denver, Colorado, USA (Certificate Number: 11263045), and Chapters in Ghana (Company Number: CG114192019), Nigeria CAC (RC 1125723), South Africa (Company Number: 2018/555410/08), United Kingdom (Company Number: 14081639), Canada (Corporation Number: 1430969-3), Switzerland, Australia, India.

The National Awareness Campaign debuted in 2020 following the directive issued by the Head of Service of the Federation, directing MDAs to automate their files and records.

The 2022 edition will also be featuring a Data Protection awareness program, occasioned by the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) issued by the National Information Development Agency (NITDA) on 25th January 2019 with effect from 25^th April 2019, which is now being implemented and enforced by the newly established Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB).  

Speaking about the campaign, Dr Oyedokun Oyewole, President/Chairman-GC, Institute of Information Management (IIM) Africa, said that the regulation requires that any organisation dealing with or keeping data of Nigerian Citizens is expected to comply with the NDPR.

“Failure could result in financial loss, damage to reputations, or imprisonment. As penalty attracts up to N10 million or 2% of the company’s annual global gross revenue of the preceding year; whichever is higher. 

“The awareness campaign is intended to educate and provide technical and non-technical information/support required for the successful implementation of files and document digitization. Provide knowledge and bridge skills gaps, with guidelines & standards for digitization and ultimate implementation of Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solution”, the President of IIM Africa said.   

He added that the Awareness campaign will also provide participating organisations insight into how to develop a comprehensive corporate information governance program, plans, and processes, highlighting a coherent framework to describe and validate imaging performance and quality, based on existing international best practices and standards.

“Finally, the initiative will enable and empower organizations (public and private) in Nigeria on how to effectively comply and remain compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), as interested organisations are invited to participate/benefit from the annual pro bono CSR initiative.

“The 2022 Awareness Campaign which is expected to kick off on 26 July 2022 Nationwide, is endorsed and supported by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) and the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB)”, Dr Oyewole, the IIM Africa president added.