Jide Awe, Founder, Jidaw.com
Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Advisor
Jide Awe, an entrepreneur, IT specialist, and Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policy consultant with extensive experience in digital development, is among the first individuals to achieve certification in Accelerating the Implementation of the African Union’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024) by the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
He offers STI policy advisory solutions through consultancies and participation in, as well as the organization of, seminars, workshops, meetings, research, policy dialogues, and capacity-building events. He focuses on leveraging STI for sustainable development through policy analysis and formulation, as well as the improvement of STI awareness, policy literacy, and capacity.
He trained as an electrical and electronic engineer at Loughborough University, and he has worked in the banking, communications, and information technology industries in Nigeria, delivering ICT consulting, management, education, and web content provision services. He has held roles as a communications engineer, systems programmer, ICT manager, and entrepreneur with LM Ericsson, United Bank for Africa, Ecobank, CTB, and Jidaw Systems Limited.
Science, Technology and Innovation and Digital Development Experiences:
Communications Engineering
Designing, implementing, and maintaining telecommunications sites and systems across Nigeria at LM Ericsson, while ensuring efficient and reliable communication services at various sites through design, troubleshooting, support, and staying up-to-date with industry developments and standards.
Banking/Fintech IT Management and Operations
Technical Operations, System Development, and Support, as well as IT Leadership and Strategy in Banking/Fintech at United Bank for Africa (UBA) PLC, Ecobank PLC, and CTB Limited. Authored the first UBA Office Automation manual. Established the Information Systems department from scratch at a bank and led the Data Center and IT department at various banks with branches in various regions of the country.
IT Entrepreneurship
Revolutionizing IT education, pioneering IT content provision in Nigeria, and offering public policy consulting services, Jide Awe founded Jidaw with a deep passion for technology and a commitment to driving innovation in Nigeria and Africa. The goal was to contribute to the leverage of science, technology, and innovation for sustainable development in Nigeria and Africa. Jidaw was established as a trusted leader at the intersection of education, content, policy, and entrepreneurial endeavors.
As an entrepreneur, Jide Awe played a pioneering role in computer education and the provision of local online content in Nigeria. He founded Jidaw.com, which became the forerunning website for tech development.
Digital Education
Provision of ICT training and certification services, VSAT training, career development coaching, seminars, development of national digital education strategies and policies, and public engagement and communication.
Digital Agriculture
Development of national digital agriculture strategies and policies. Facilitating public engagement and communication.
Public Policy Development
Advisory assignments and initiatives encompass research and analysis, stakeholder engagement, local and international collaboration, education and workforce development, evaluation and monitoring, and public outreach and communication.
He also has experience in the development of ICT policies and the provision of public policy advisory and consulting services at both state and national levels, collaborating with state agencies, NITDA, and UNECA. As a member of the National ICT for Development (ICT4D) Plan Action Committee, he contributed to the development of national policies for Nigeria’s ICT4D Strategic Action Plan. He created the plans for Private Sector Development and produced a summary of the entire National ICT4D Plan. Additionally, he is the author of several national ICT4D policy publications for NITDA.
Data Protection and Privacy
Advisory on policy development to ensure data protection policy relevance, appropriateness and effectiveness, regulatory compliance, engaging in advocacy efforts, training and educating stakeholders about data protection best practices and influencing policy changes to safeguard individuals’ privacy rights.
He was a Member of Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) Committee of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), which laid the foundation for the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
IT Content Provision
He speaks and is a prolific writer on innovation, human capital, disruption, transformation and the future and technology related issues and has several publications;. His contributions have been published in national and international media for over 30 years – online, articles, interviews such as CIPSacrossCanada, the quarterly magazine of the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), Zenith Bank Economic Quarterly, NESG Economic Indicators and major Nigerian Newspapers such as Guardian, Punch, Sun Newspapers, etc.
He was editor of Computer.com magazine, a national IT magazine for many years.
He is a pioneer in online local content provision, founding the forerunning website for tech development, Jidaw.com. He posts regularly on Jidaw.com and on his social media accounts and his views are acknowledged and spread through various local and global media.
Professional Memberships and Service
Member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers is the umbrella organization for the Engineering profession in Nigeria.
Member of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), the body that regulates and supervises the computing profession in Nigeria. He has been a member of key committees of CPN.
Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the umbrella organization of all Information Technology Professionals, Interest Groups and Stakeholders in Nigeria.
“In recognition of his extensive expertise and advocacy background, along with his dedication to Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) development in Nigeria, he was elected to the National Executive Council (NEC) of NCS, where he chaired key committees, including the Conferences Committee and the Publicity, Events, and Trade Services Committee.
His passion for advocacy also drove him to establish and manage various initiatives aimed at advancing digital development, including digital media platforms for NCS and its interest groups. His outstanding contributions were recognized in 2019 when he received the NCS Presidential Special Recognition Award.
Additionally, he served as the Chairman of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) Training and Certification Committee. NIG is a not-for-profit,non-governmental organization, promoting the Internet in Nigeria.
Initiatives
For decades, Jide Awe has been actively involved in various Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) initiatives for sustainable development. He has established and organized initiatives spanning youth innovation, child online protection, women in technology, STI for sustainable development in Africa, ICT career development, information security, and digital development.
Notably, he initiated the first Child Online Protection forums and activities in Nigeria. Through Jidaw, he pioneered IT Career Advisory and Mentoring in Nigeria by organizing regular Free IT Career Seminars. Additionally, Jidaw conducted the first Public Internet Mass Awareness (PIMA) seminars and offered free Computer Education Workshops for both children and adults.
Vision
Throughout his career, his innovative vision, which centers around the idea that technology is fundamentally about people, has shaped his interests and actions. He is dedicated to leveraging Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) to unlock potential and actively supports initiatives like STISA-2024 in Africa. His focus includes promoting inclusive innovation, ethical practices, and enhancing the societal impact of technology.
His commitment to serving the best interests of the nation’s STI agenda is a driving force. He finds great motivation in contributing to the development of a more inclusive, sustainable, and globally competitive STI-enabled nation and continent. For him, using STI to transform society is not merely a job but a calling.
“Technology matters but it’s always about people”
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