Engr Lanre Ajayi (Founding Board Member/fmr. President ATCON)
Engr. Lanre Ajayi had his Bachelor's and Master's degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He was trained on Data communications at GPT, Coventry, UK, as a British Council scholar and was further trained on Internet technologies and networking in Canada and Switzerland on the scholarships of the Internet Society (ISOC).
He worked for Nigeria Telecommunications Ltd (NITEL) for 11 years. While at the NITEL R&D department, he had a number of designs to his credit, one of which became the first patent held by NITEL. He has won several awards for his Research and Development activities.
As a consultant to a Rockefeller foundation-funded organization in Nigeria, FEDEN, he set up the first Internet host in Nigeria in February 1992 thereby privileged to herald the Internet into Nigeria. He established Pinet Informatics in May 1995 to become the first Internet Service Provider in Nigeria.
Lanre Ajayi, former President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), is a co-founder and a former President of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), a Non-Profit organization that pioneered the promotion of the Internet in Nigeria. Engr Ajayi has served as the Vice-President of the ISP Association of Nigeria (ISPAN) and as the Vice-Chairman of the African ISP Association (AfrISPA). He served on the council of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) as the Chairman of the Research and Statistics Committee and was the Chairman of ISPAN committee on Internet Exchange Point which led to the establishment of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN).
Lanre Ajayi, a foundation member of Africa Network Information Centre (AfriNIC), served as a council member at the Los Angeles based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the international body managing the Internet critical resources, and also served as a member of the Expert Working Group (EWG) in ICANN.
Prof Adenike Osofisan (Fmr. President, Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria)
Prof Adenike Osofisan was a pioneer student of the Department of Computer Science of the University of Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) ), and graduated with a 2nd Class Upper Division Honours Degree in Computer Science/Economics. She also has a Master’s degree in Computer Science in 1979 from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and PhD Computer Science in OAU to become the first Nigerian woman to hold a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science. She also has an MBA (Finance & Accounts) the University of Ibadan in 1993, where she graduated with unprecedented nine distinctions. She started her career in the Polytechnic Ibadan in 1979 where she rose to the position of Dean Faculty of Science before joining the services of the University of Ibadan in 1997 as Senior Lecturer and rose to the position of Professor in 2006 as the first female professor of Computer Science in Africa. She has supervised twenty PhD Theses, several M.Sc. Thesis and final year projects.
She was president of Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria 2005-9 as the first female to head the Council, Former Member of Nigeria Institute of Management Council, Member Board of Trustees of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), former Member of Council of Nigeria Mathematical Centre and its Academic Board and member of SAP African Academic Board just to mention a few. She was Foundation Director of the University of Ibadan School of Business (UISB), August 1st 2012- July 31st 2018. She was immediate past Provost, College of Fellows Nigeria Computer Society also as the first female Provost of the College, 2017 to 2021. Prof. Osofisan has been the recipient of many national and international prizes, scholarships, and fellowship awards to the United Kingdom, USA, Australia, India, Ghana and South Africa.
Engr. Hossam Elgamal, CEO IKEN / fmr. Chair AfICTA
Hossam Elgamal has more than 25 years of professional experience in ICT both in private and public sectors.
After founding & managing several successful IT companies he was asked to bring his expertise into multi-stakeholder public policy management being selected in 2013 till Feb 2017 by the UN Sec. General to become one of 9 Global Business Representatives among the 55 MAG members advising on The Internet Governance Forum.
He is the Founder and CEO of iKen, www.iken.co working in digital Transformation & industry 4.0 projects, representing a group with more than 600 specialized employees & hundreds ofreferences, with morethan 30years of market experience.
He is appointed by the International Chamber of Commerce as Ambassador of the Digital Economy Commission to Africa.
He was previously elected Chair of AfICTA www.aficta.africa from October 2018 to October 2020. He has been prior to that a board member since 2014 contributing in making synergy between African nations ICT industries, connecting with International ICT organizations and advocating for Africa ICT industry (with focus on developing countries and SMEs) before the governing bodies to help shaping policies and achieving Africa 2030 SDGs. He was selected as an expert member on the advisory committee of the higher council for Egypt Digital Transformation during 2018-2019.
He was selected by the Egyptian Prime Minister in Dec 2015 and till May 2018 to chair the Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center IDSC (www.idsc.gov.eg) with the purpose of supporting the Egyptian Cabinet with required information gathering, analysis and decision support recommendations focusing on inclusive Development, citizen satisfaction, crisis management, and digital transformation.
Hossam was the Vice-Chairman of Eitesal Business Association www.eitesal.org till May 2015 (the leading Egyptian ICT Association) heading its executive office, advocating & boosting the industry business development, technical & entrepreneurship capabilities. During the same period he was a member of the National Child Internet Safety Committee.
Within the private sector, he is continuing as a Leader and a serial entrepreneur and is currently partner in INFORT Egypt www.infort.co (previously its Managing Director), and partner in Telemed international www.telemedint.net with market focus covering MEA.
Adrian Schofield, fmr. Vice-Chair AfICTA
Adrian began his career in the UK petroleum industry, followed by some years in casino administration. He spent 25 years in various executive and consulting roles in the South African ICT sector prior to joining the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2008 as Manager: Applied Research Unit. From 2018 to 2021, he was appointed Production/Programme Consultant at IITPSA (Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa).
He has lectured about the Management of Technology and Systems Thinking and is a regular commentator in the trade media. Adrian has spent more than 30 years promoting standards and growth in the ICT sector. Adrian has served as President of the Information Technology Association in South Africa and as Vice-Chairman of the Africa ICT Alliance. He received the 2012 Distinguished Service in ICT Award from Computer Society South Africa (now IITPSA). From 2015 to 2020, he served as a Councillor for the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) ICT Sector Council.
He currently serves as Vice Chairman (Standards & Accreditation) of IP3 (the International Professional Practice Partnership at the International Federation for Information Processing).
He is a Fellow and Professional Member of IITPSA, having served terms as its Vice President and President.
Eng. Atef Helmy (Advisory Council Vice Chairman)
Former Minister of Communications & Information Technology, Egypt Chairman, Prime Business Consulting
With more than 40 years of solid experience in business and in communications & information technology, Eng. Helmy lead numerous executive management positions in two Fortune 100 companies, namely NCR/AT&T and Oracle in the United States, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, reaching the positions of Managing Director of NCR UAE, Managing Director of Oracle Egypt, and Chairman of Orange Egypt. He has also contributed to the development of the digital society in Egypt and MEA as chairman of the Chamber of Communications & Information Technology, member of the American Chamber of commerce, founding member of the Arab Digital Economy Federation, Board Member if SAMENA ‘ Senior Advisor Orange MEA and through numerous positions on the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees of many organizations, institutions, universities,andNGOs inMEA.
In January 2013, Eng. Atef Helmy assumed responsibility as Egypt's Minister of Communications & InformationTechnology. In recognition of his efforts, professionalism and leadership, Eng. Helmy has chaired the World Summit for Information Societies (WSIS +10) high-level event in Geneva in June 2014 and was awarded the Golden Medallion from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for his active role.
Current roles:
▪ Chairman, Prime Business Consulting
▪ Board Member of Bational Bank of Egypt
▪ Founding Member & President of the General Assembly, Arab Digital Economy Federation ▪ Founding Member, Egypt Fintech Association
▪ Honorary Member, American Chamber of Commerce ▪ Member, Board of Trustees, British University in Egypt
▪ Member, Board of Trustees, Beit El Zakat (Egypt House of Alms & Charity) ▪ Board Member, Al Mohandes Insurance
▪ Board Member, Al Hayat Insurance
