The Group Managing Director/CEO of the Benue Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC) and President/CEO of the Africa Digital Infrastructure Company (AfDIC), Gbande Hembaor Terwase AFCPN, served as a distinguished speaker and panelist on the topic “Connect, Transform, Thrive: Nigeria’s Digital Transformation Models” at the IEEE Connecting the Unconnected (CTU) Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Summit 2025, held at Baze University, Abuja.
The summit, that took place on the 27–28 November 2025, at Baze University, Abuja brought together global leaders, policymakers, innovators, and researchers to advance the mission of bridging the world’s digital divide.
The IEEE CTU-EMEA Summit stands as one of the most influential international conferences hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)—the world’s largest technical professional body with over 423,000 members across more than 160 countries.
With this year’s theme, “Bridging Digital Frontiers: African Solutions for Universal Connectivity,” the summit focuses on continental and global strategies to reach the 2.9 billion people still lacking meaningful access to the internet. The presence of high-level delegations, including government ministers, development organizations, and industry CEOs, underscores the urgency and strategic importance of universal digital access.
The GMD/CEO’s participation served as a powerful platform to showcase Benue State’s emerging digital transformation model, widely recognized as one of Nigeria’s most pragmatic and people-centered digital governance blueprints. In his submission, he emphasized the systematic reforms championed under the administration of His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, and how BDIC is operationalizing a unified digital economy structure anchored on shared ICT infrastructure, public service automation, geospatial intelligence, and youth digital skills development. These efforts have positioned Benue as a subnational example for digitally inclusive governance and infrastructure modernization.
The engagement also provided the opportunity to highlight the expanding footprint of AfDIC’s continental vision, particularly the Africa Digital Infrastructure Masterplan (ADIM)—a transformative initiative designed to harmonize ICT infrastructure, digital services, and capacity development across African nations. By presenting AfDIC’s shared-infrastructure-as-a-service model, the CEO underscored Africa’s readiness to drive its own connectivity solutions through indigenous innovation, strategic partnerships, and sustainable financing.
Overall, the CEO’s contribution at the IEEE CTU-EMEA Summit 2025 significantly amplified the visibility of Benue State and Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda on the global stage. It reinforced the commitment of BDIC and AfDIC to building resilient digital systems, accelerating broadband expansion, and empowering millions through technology-driven development. The engagement not only elevated the Benue/Africa narrative but also positioned the state and the continent as leading architects of the future digital world.
