ERNEST NDUKWE

CEO and Vice Chairman, National Communications Commission, Nigeria

Engr Ernest Ndukwe is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria's Telecommunications Regulatory Agency. Prior to his appointment in February 2000, Ernest Ndukwe, a telecommunications engineer with over 27 years of international experience, had held several senior management positions in leading telecommunications firms companies. He had also served in various Committees set up by the Nigerian government to formulate policies for a liberalized telecommunications industry in Nigeria.

Under his tenure, the NCC has witnessed tremendous growth and transformation, earning a reputation as a transparent and open agency. Ernest Ndukwe was at the helm during Nigeria's first Digital Mobile License Spectrum Auction, which was praised internationally as a resounding success. This auction process and others that followed have boosted Nigeria's image abroad and also generated over N120 billion (about $1 billion) in revenue for the government.

Engr Ndukwe serves as current Chairman of the Administrative Council of the African Telecommunications Union and Chairman of the West African Telecom Regulators Association (WATRA), an organization he pioneered. He is also the recipient of several industry and civic awards, including the OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC (OFR) honor, one of Nigeria's most prestigious national honors.