TiLAwards 2026 Honours Media and Brand Personalities Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Economy
…Chike Onwuegbuchi, Emma Okonji, Adeyemi Adepetun, Prince Osuagwu, Linda Ochugbua, and Louisa Olaniyi honoured at the inaugural TiLAwards
The inaugural Technology, Innovation & Leadership Awards (TiLAwards) 2026, presented by Techeconomy, has honoured media and brand personalities whose work has contributed to technology journalism, business communication, digital marketing and public conversations around Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
The honourees were recognised at the inaugural TiLAwards ceremony, held during GrowthX by Techeconomy under the theme, “Driving Digital Growth Through Innovation and Collaboration.”
The ceremony brought together technology executives, entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, media professionals and other stakeholders from across Nigeria’s technology and business ecosystem.
Under the Media Excellence and Digital Brand & Marketing Excellence categories, TiLAwards recognised Chike Onwuegbuchi, Linda Ochugbua, Emma Okonji, Prince Osuagwu, Adeyemi Adepetun and Louisa Olaniyi for their respective contributions to journalism, media, strategic communication, digital marketing, broadcasting and industry engagement.
Chike Onwuegbuchi – Media Excellence Award
Chike Onwuegbuchi, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek and Chairman of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), was recognised for his contribution to technology journalism and industry engagement.
Over the years, Onwuegbuchi has combined newsroom leadership with industry engagement, helping create platforms where technology companies, regulators, policymakers and journalists examine issues affecting Nigeria’s information and communications technology sector.
Under his leadership, NITRA has convened industry-focused engagements around subjects including cloud services, data localisation, fintech and artificial intelligence. His professional engagements have also covered local data hosting, digital infrastructure, technology policy and the development of Nigeria’s ICT ecosystem.
TiLAwards recognised Onwuegbuchi for his contribution to technology journalism, industry dialogue and informed conversations around the policies, innovations and opportunities shaping Nigeria’s digital economy.
Linda Ochugbua – Digital Brand & Marketing Excellence Award
Linda Ochugbua, a marketing and sales professional with more than 13 years of experience, was recognised for her contribution to digital brand development, marketing and business communication.
Ochugbua began her marketing career in the oil and gas sector before moving to the United Kingdom, where she earned a first-class honours degree and an MSc in Management from the University of Surrey.
She has also completed entrepreneurship training at Harvard Business School and is an alumna of Lagos Business School.
She later worked with ERAC Ltd before joining BusinessDay Media Limited in 2012, where she played a role in the strategic digital transformation of the newspaper’s advertising operations and the development of new revenue opportunities.
She is also known for her work as a conference speaker and digital content creator. Her platforms include The African SME Story, a live series focused on African businesses, and Growing Your Business With Linda, a podcast carried on her platforms and Africa Business Radio.
Through her work across marketing, media and digital platforms, Ochugbua has built a profile around business growth, entrepreneurship and brand communication.
Emma Okonji – Media Excellence Award
Emma Okonji, ICT Editor at THISDAY Newspapers, was recognised for his more than two decades of contribution to technology and business journalism in Nigeria.
A first-class graduate of Industrial Technical Education from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Okonji began his journalism career with Daily Independent Newspapers in 2001, where he worked as a reporter and later rose to become a correspondent and Head of the ICT Desk.
He joined THISDAY Newspapers in 2011 and currently serves as its ICT Editor. Okonji holds a Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos, as well as a diploma in Advanced Reporting in the Digital Age from Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University.
He has attended journalism conferences and professional training programmes in Nigeria and abroad and has received several recognitions for his work in ICT reporting.
A former Chairman of NITRA, Okonji has remained active in the development of technology journalism and industry-focused media engagement. He is widely known in the ICT journalism community as “The Cardinal of ICT Journalism.”
Prince Osuagwu – Media Excellence Award
Prince Osuagwu, Technology Editor and Head of the Hi-Tech Desk at Vanguard Newspapers, was recognised for his contribution to technology reporting and editorial leadership.
With more than 25 years of experience spanning journalism, strategic communications, technology reporting, editorial leadership and media management, Osuagwu has covered Nigeria’s evolving technology and communications landscape extensively.
At Vanguard, he leads coverage across technology, telecommunications, innovation, digital economy, startups, fintech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and emerging technologies, while supervising correspondents and contributors covering the sector.
His reporting and feature writing have consistently examined the intersection of technology, business, governance and socioeconomic development in Nigeria and Africa.
Before joining Vanguard, Osuagwu worked with Intermarc Consulting Limited, Lagos, where he served as Assistant Manager and was involved in editorial projects, corporate publications and strategic communication initiatives.
His work has contributed to public conversations around Nigeria’s rapidly expanding ICT and innovation ecosystem.
Adeyemi Adepetun – Media Excellence Award
Adeyemi Adepetun, Deputy Business Editor at The Guardian Newspapers, was recognised for his contribution to business and technology journalism.
With more than 13 years of experience in the Nigerian media industry, Adepetun has held editorial responsibilities including ICT Editor and Head of Desk at The Guardian, where he led coverage of Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
His reporting has covered telecommunications, digital transformation, finance, corporate governance and other issues at the intersection of technology and business.
Adepetun holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Mass Communication, as well as an MBA in Finance. He is also an Associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
His professional recognitions include the MTN Telecommunications Reporter of the Year Award at the 2020 Nigeria Media Merit Awards. He has also received recognition from organisations including the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON).
Beyond his editorial responsibilities, Adepetun has maintained an interest in mentoring young journalists and promoting responsible media practice. He has also participated in international training programmes and conferences covering business, technology and journalism.
Louisa Olaniyi – Media Excellence Award
Louisa Olaniyi, an award-winning broadcast journalist, television host and producer, professional compere, and certified voice-over artist, was also recognised for her contributions to media, broadcasting, and industry engagement.
With more than 20 years of experience across print, broadcast and digital media, Olaniyi currently serves as the Nigerian correspondent for WION News, a subsidiary of ZEE Media, India.
Her career has included roles with leading Nigerian media organisations such as Vanguard Newspaper, Silverbird Television, Voice of Nigeria and Rave Television, where she also served as Head of Presenters and produced programmes.
Beyond journalism and broadcasting, Olaniyi has built a strong profile as an event host and moderator. She has anchored major corporate, technology, government and social events, including the .ng Awards, Nigeria eGov Summit, Beacon of ICT Awards, Titans of Tech Summit and Awards, as well as engagements organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria Computer Society, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) and Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN).
She is also an advocate for Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 16 and opportunities for the girl child. In 2025, she was appointed to the Technical Working Group on the Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and serves on the board of the Cooperative Rating and Award Society of Nigeria.
Olaniyi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Ilorin and a Master’s degree in Diplomatic and Strategic Studies from the University of Lagos. She has undertaken professional training in television presentation, voice-over, journalism, language use, executive leadership and technology-related media practice.
Speaking shortly after the awards were presented to the recipients, Peter Oluka, the founder/Editor-in-Chief of Techeconomy, said the recognition of these media and brand professionals reflects the role of communication in shaping Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
“As technology continues to influence business, government and everyday life, the work of journalists, broadcasters, marketers, moderators and other communication professionals remains important in translating complex developments into information that businesses, policymakers and the public can understand and engage with.
“Through TiLAwards, Techeconomy seeks to recognise people, platforms and institutions contributing to the development of Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem while creating opportunities for stronger connections across the industry”, he said.
The inaugural TiLAwards was held as part of GrowthX by Techeconomy, a platform designed to convene industry stakeholders around conversations on innovation, infrastructure, policy, trust and collaboration as drivers of digital growth.
