The undeniable growth and potential of the sphere of Cybersecurity has necessitated recognition. This need birthed The Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award by Tech Trailblazer, in Nigeria. This prestigious award showcases exceptional skills, brilliance, and undeniable leadership contributions in the sphere of Cybersecurity and the general technology community. The individuals selected to be bestowed these honors are simply excellent and nothing less.
The Award promotes ingenuity , while rewarding top cybersecurity executives and leaders who have taken giant strides to develop security product to a meaningful impact in the industry. By honoring remarkable achievements, this accolade fosters innovations, sets high standards and facilitates a continuous chain of improvement within the industry.
At the core of this esteemed award platform lies the distinguished members of the selection committee, each renowned for their expertise and outstanding contributions to the profession. The selection committee comprises a panel of influential professionals, including:
- Adaobi Eze – Chief Cybersecurity Officer, Center for Technology Innovative Solutions
- Ibrahim Lawal – Vice President of Cybersecurity Research, Institute of Standards and Technology
- Fatima Bello – Director of Strategy, Cybersecurity and Risk Management Initiative
- Yusuf Mohammed – Director of Cybersecurity, Lagos Innovations Board.
- Zainab Ibrahim – Head of Cyber Threat Research, Nigerian Institute of Technology and Design (NITD).
From the pool of submissions, the selection committee identifies the top nominees whose accomplishments and influence in the industry are particularly notable. These nominees encompass a variety of backgrounds and expertise within the field. Following this, a voting process is initiated, enabling committee members and other stakeholders to vote for the most deserving candidate.
These seasoned cybersecurity and technology experts play a crucial role in carefully analyzing nominees and applicants, to select the most deserving recipient of the award from over 100 cybersecurity experts and professionals who were nominated for the award. There are arguably about 100, 000 – 150, 000 cybersecurity engineers and cybersecurity professionals in Nigeria and this award is open to all annually through an application, nomination and voting process, only one individual emerges as winner in a particular year.
The past awardees have been visionary individuals who have made notable contributions to the field of cybersecurity. This clearly affirms the heritage of excellence that the award seeks to establish. Past recipients of this prestigious award for the past years include some of the top leading Cybersecurity experts:
- Stephen Nnamdi – Chief Cloud Security Officer at WalNG (Winner of Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award 2023)
- Ahmed Akinsola – Chief Information Security Officer at SecureNet Technologies (Winner of Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award 2022)
- Oluomachi Eunice Ejiofor – Lead Cybersecurity Engineer at EvolveHive (Winner of Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award 2021)
- Chidinma Justina – Director of Information Security at TechFortress Solutions (Winner of Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award 2020)
- Babatunde Adebayo – Vice President, Cyber Risk Management at SecureTrust Analytics (Winner of Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award 2019)
- Ngozi Chioma – Director of Cybersecurity Strategy at DefendIT Global (Winner of Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award 2018)
- Ifeanyi Okonkwo – Chief Threat Intelligence Officer at CyberSentinel Group (Winner of Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award 2017)
- Mojisola Bakare – Director of Security Operations at ShieldTech Innovations (Winner of Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award 2016)
- Amara Onyeji – Chief Cybersecurity Strategist at FortiSafe Solutions (Winner of Cybersecurity Innovation Excellence Award 2015)
These innovators have not only expanded the boundaries of cybersecurity but have also inspired others to strive for excellence in their respective fields.
The Award ceremony has evolved into a highly anticipated event, garnering widespread national and regional recognition and attracting an illustrious array of dignitaries and industry luminaries. From its inaugural year, where it was graced by the presence of notable figures such as the Governor of Lagos State, HRH Sanusi Lamudo Sanusi : former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, to subsequent editions attended by esteemed guests including the CEO of Big Cabal Media, Former CEO of Stanbic IBTC Bank, among others, the event has become an earmarked event of the industry calendar.
The essence of the award ceremony has transcended mere recognition, paving the way for regional and cross-national collaborations with leading institutions such as the Africa Security Solutions Innovation Consortium. Additionally, the event has secured sponsorship from prestigious organizations including Andela, Dangote, GTCO and others. These partnerships validate the widespread industry support and validation of the award’s significance within the cybersecurity community, solidifying its reputation as a pinnacle of excellence in the field.
