Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has been named one of the ’50 Most Valuable Personalities (50MVPs) in Nigeria’s Digital Economy 2025′, an honour that highlights his ICT reforms and leadership in transforming Benue into a digital innovation hub.
The recognition, spearheaded by Knowhow Media, publishers of IT Edge News Africa, is part of the prestigious West Africa Convergence Conference (WACC).
The 2025 edition, themed ‘Consolidating Progress, Addressing New and Emerging Challenges in Nigeria’s Digital Economy’, is scheduled for May 22 at The Colosseum in Lagos.
Governor Alia has been commended for embedding technology-driven governance and digital inclusion into the heart of Benue’s economic diversification strategy.
Since taking office, his administration has established three core institutions to spearhead the state’s digital transformation.
These institutions include Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Benue State Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC) and Benue State Digital Infrastructure Services Management and Enforcement Agency (BENDISMEA).
These institutions have collectively laid the foundation for e-governance, improved service delivery, and empowered thousands of youths through digital skill acquisition.
Alia’s reforms include the creation of the BDIC to boost ICT infrastructure and internally generated revenue (IGR), the introduction of a paperless Executive Council Management System, and the training of over 40,000 civil servants in e-governance tools and data privacy.
The administration has also empowered 10,000 youths with digital skills, established 276 e-commerce hubs across council wards, and partnered with the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) to train up to 23,000 youths annually across the state’s 23 LGAs.
Further strides include licensing applications with national regulators for e-payment systems, internet services, and digital broadcasting, as well as the hiring of over 60 software and hardware engineers to drive innovation locally.
“More than just a recognition, the 50MVPs in Nigeria’s Digital Economy is the gathering of Nigeria’s major change-makers and the charting of new pathways for economic growth,” Dr. Sola Afolabi, Chairman of the 2025 Nomination Committee and Baobab Think said.
Previous honorees include top national figures like Dr. Vincent Olatunji, CEO of the NDPC, and Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then