According to the organizers of the prestigious awards, optimising service, and performance, enhancing customer service, overall quality of innovation and contribution to ICT advancement, originality and vision, digital transformation and service, market success/acceptance and contribution to end-user quality-of-experience and service delivery were key components in the criteria considered by the Tech TV intelligence unit panel that selected the award winners.

The four months long period involved gathering series of detailed information on KPIs, customer satisfaction, Innovation, growth strategies and ethical practices.

At the end, Zoho Technologies was adjudged overall winner among other nominees for its relentless efforts and impact on the Nigerian enterprise through the several innovative productivity business solutions that it has introduced into the Nigerian and African market at the award ceremony attended by the former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission and Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Engr Ernest Ndukwe and the President of the Association Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Engr Ikechukwu Nnamani.

While receiving the award from Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Dean, Executive Chairman, SUBEBs in Nigeria, the Country Manager for Zoho Technologies Nigeria, Mr. kehinde Ogundare, disclosed that the award is the first it has received from the tech industry in the country.

An elated Ogundare while thanking Titans of Tech for the award disclosed that Zoho is committed to providing productive solutions to startups and SMEs in Nigeria stressing that the recent unveiling of its digital solution, the Africa Digital Enabler, designed to enhance the digital transformation of small businesses in Nigeria was part its commitment to the nation’s enterprise.

Earlier at the Pan African Digital Initiatives Summit and Exhibition (PADISE), tagged as the most important technology innovation event in 2022, where he made ap presentation of the latest business productivity solutions from Zoho, Ogundare stated that Zoho Africa Digital Enabler package was developed to help small businesses with up to five employees jumpstart their digital journey.

He noted that the package will provide new users of Zoho a collection of 10 leading apps at a 50% discount starting from July 1, 2022, for a period of three months adding that the package comes with the Zoho Workplace which is a unified platform that brings together collaboration, productivity, and communications tools and integrates them into other business processes.

According to the Convener of the Titans of Tech Award, Don Pedro Aganbi, landmark achievements of Zoho necessitated the award.

He stated that Zoho has been able grow its business in the country by 74%, adding that the opening of an office in Lagos and hiring more employees locally for customer-facing roles reveals its commitment to the Nigerian economy.

The seminal conference had the theme: Leveraging the Right Policies and Technologies in Taming Insecurity and Cyber Threats. 

Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy of Nigeria who delivered the lead paper noted that combating cyber security is a collective effort that demands a multi-sector approach.

He stated that every component of society from the government at the highest level to private individuals has a role to play in achieving secure cyberspace.

According to him, “Many intelligent learning techniques, like deep learning and reinforcement learning, are now being added to cybersecurity systems to make them safer and better at protecting privacy for both personal and ubiquitous systems.” 

Dr. Lawan Mohammed, Head of Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) Unit at NITDA, who represented Prof Isa Pantami added that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to change security and the way cyber-attacks are tackled.

Prof Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) observed that it would be beneficial to establish partnerships and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to improve security.

He revealed that efforts are already underway including initiatives such as linking NIN with SIMs, the Cyber security incidence team and the Internet Code of Practice among others. 

Prof Danbatta was represented by Engineer Austine Nwanoli, Director of Digital Economy at the NCC. 

According to Eng Abdullahi Sule, Executive Governor, Nasarawa State in his keynote presentation, “In considering how to leverage the right policies and technologies in taming insecurity and cyber-threats, one word that comes to mind is vulnerabilities. The scale of ransomware attacks and the large scope of threats shows that no organization, no state, no company is immune.”

He added that we must train and retrain ourselves, collaborate with partners and work to mitigate the threats. Shehu Ibrahim, DG, Bureau for ICT, Nasarawa State, who represented the governor insisted that technology can solve insecurity. 

Mrs. Folashade Jaji, Secretary to The Lagos State Government, in her goodwill message praised is Excellency, Governor Babajide SanwoOlu for T.H.E.M.E.S Development agenda, which stands for Transportation & Traffic Management, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism, Security and Governance. Security, she noted, is a cardinal pillar for this administration. 

She revealed that the government has a lot of initiatives in the works to tackle insecurity including the Unmanned Area Vehicle (UAV) for the Geo-mapping of the State’s landscape and to manage emergency, security and disaster recovery management amongst others. In addition, cameras are being deployed on major routes for better traffic management and security of road users across Lagos State. Mrs. Tolani Oshodi, Permanent secretary, cabinet office of the SSG, represented the SSG. 

Engineer Ikechukwu Nnamani, President Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) called for closer collaboration between services providers and regulators. We must endeavour to digitize our methods to mitigate the impact of insecurity, he remarked. 

Abiodun Alabi, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, revealed that the NPF Force HQ has a Technical Intelligence Unit (T.I.U) to combat cybercrime and physical threats to Nigerians noting that the police is collaborating with the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) to begin data collation of all nefarious individuals across the West African region, NCC and Interpol. 

Benjamin Hundeyin, SP Police, who represented the CP, said that there is a national crime and incidence centre in Lagos, the NPF social media unit is now fully operational and the Rescue me App has also been launched.

Veteran Tech Journalist and Managing Partner, Africa Telecom and IT news Prince Bayo Abiodun Chaired one while Amos Emmanuel, Founder, Innovationbed Africa chaired two day. 

Don Pedro Aganbi, the Convener of PADISE 2022 poised that insecurity affects every country today, as they hamper efforts to promote and protect human rights and are an obstacle to sustainable development.

The Summit held side by side with an exhibition which featured companies like Zoho Technologies, Africa Data Centres, IHS towers, itel, Ethnos IT Solutions, OneData, TeleAfrica, Medallion Communications, OneData, Cloudflex, Alpha Technologies, EcoExcel and ICSL among others.