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Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has been honoured with the prestigious 2025 Digital Excellence Award by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) for his bold and visionary leadership in driving digital revolution across the state.
The award was presented on Friday, 28th November 2025, at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja and received on the governor’s behalf by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Dr. Sam Ode, mni, in company of the Group Managing Director/CEO of Benue Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC) and the President/CEO of Africa Digital Infrastructure Company (AfDIC).
ATCON described Governor Alia’s leadership as “visionary and transformative,” singling out his administration’s aggressive push to position Benue as one of Nigeria’s leading subnationals in infrastructure modernization and technological innovation.
Key initiatives that earned the governor this national recognition include the introduction of Free Right of Way (RoW) for all telecom operators laying fibre optic cables, an unprecedented policy that has removed bureaucratic bottlenecks, slashed deployment costs, and triggered massive private-sector investment in broadband infrastructure across the state.
The successful hosting of the maiden Benue Telecommunications Summit, which brought regulators, industry giants, and operators together to tackle challenges and forge partnerships, was also highlighted as a game-changer that has restored investor confidence and accelerated digital growth.
Other landmark achievements cited include:
– Deployment of fibre optic connectivity across 18 Metropolitan Development Areas (MDAs)
– Training of 10,000 Benue youths in digital skills with an ongoing programme targeting 23,000 more
– Retraining of 40,000 civil servants in digital governance
– Creation of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy
– Establishment of the Benue State Digital Infrastructure Services Management Enforcement Agency
– Setting up of the Benue Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC) as the state’s public digital infrastructure powerhouse
Sources from BDIC and AfDIC say the award will further energise the administration’s resolve to deepen digital inclusion, expand broadband reach to the last mile, and empower communities through technology-driven opportunities.
With these reforms, Benue is fast shedding its old identity and emerging as a serious contender in Nigeria’s digital economy space.
From free fibre RoW to thousands of digitally skilled youths and a thriving telecom ecosystem, Governor Alia is proving that even states far from the traditional tech corridors can leapfrog into the future when leadership is bold, deliberate, and people-focused.
This national recognition is well-deserved. Benue is on the rise, and the digital revolution is here to stay.
