Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava took office as Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023. 

With more than 30 years in telecommunications, including over 20 years in ITU’s Development Sector, Dr Zavazava has promoted and implemented impactful information and communication technology projects around the world. 

Prior to his election as BDT Director, he served as ITU’s Chief of Partnerships for Digital Development, overseeing development-related projects, strategic partnerships, and resource mobilization between 2019 and 2022, while launching new initiatives that have boosted the engagement of industry, private-sector and academia members in ITU’s work. 

Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, a senior Indian Administrative Service Officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, is a B. Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT, Kanpur, MBA from Cranfield University, UK and Ph.D from Ohio State University, USA in Management Information Systems.

He started his career as an IAS Officer in 1992. He has held various administrative positions in the fields of land and revenue management, mines and minerals, IT/Communications, e-governance. During his stint in Central deputation, he worked in Department of Telecom, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. While working as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, he was instrumental in rolling out the Cash Transfer program in LPG and ‘Give It Up’ campaign. He has also served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director in World Bank in Washington DC.

He held important positions of CEO of Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau, Additional Chief Secretary, Information Technology and Digital Service Department and MD & CEO, Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation.

Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani is the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

An accomplished entrepreneur and business leader, Dr. Tijani is a pioneer in the African startup ecosystem and has been instrumental in driving innovation and fostering the growth of tech startups across the continent.

He is the co-founder and former CEO of Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), the leading pan-African technology and innovation center with presence in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Namibia. Founded in 2010, CcHUB has played a pivotal role in nurturing startups through mentorship programs, funding initiatives, and access to essential resources.

Under his leadership, CcHUB became a vital catalyst for the African tech ecosystem, promoting collaboration, knowledge sharing and the development of groundbreaking solutions to local and global challenges. Dr. Tijani’s visionary leadership, passion for technology, and commitment to fostering a thriving startup ecosystem have made him a respected figure in the African tech communities. His dedication to creating opportunities and driving innovation continues to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs in Nigeria and beyond.

Prior to CcHUB, he led the networking and coordination of leading innovation agencies across Europe as European Innovation Manager at PERA, with the aim of standardizing the varying methodologies for commercializing research results. He had also previously worked at the International Trade Centre, in Geneva Switzerland overseeing the design and implementation of technical support programmes geared towards enlightening and assisting exporters in Sub-Saharan Africa in maximising the use of information and communication technologies for export marketing.

Dr. Tijani is an exemplary scholar who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Jos, a Masters degree in Information Systems and Management from Warwick University and a Doctorate degree in Innovation and Economic Development from the University of Leicester. He is also an adjunct professor at the Wits School of Governance, South Africa.

His PhD research focussed on contributing to a better understanding of how the network perspective to innovation capacity serves as a contextually relevant
framework for explaining the adoption and adaptation of innovation in developing countries and offers an alternative path to how African countries can effectively organise to strengthen their innovation ecosystems.

He was a member of the UK Advisory Committee on Digital Access Africa, a Committee member for NESG on Science and Technology and a member of the Expert Advisory Group to the European Commission on mainstreaming technology and innovation in the relationship between Europe and Africa.

Dr. Tijani is a Desmond Tutu Fellow and fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law at the prestigious Stanford University and is happily married with three children.

Ms. Enkelejda Muçaj is the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy in the Republic of Albania since November 2021.

Ms. Muçaj held the position of General State Advocate from March 2020 to June 2021. For a period of 20 years (December 2000 – February 2020), she practiced as a lawyer at the international law office Tonnuci & Partners, during which she provided legal expertise in Telecommunication, Intellectual Property (Copyright and Industrial Property), Company Law, Contract Law, Tax Law, Mining Law, Administrative Law, related to the harmonization of national legislation with International Intellectual Property law and is specialized in the preparation and interpretation of trade contracts international, concession contracts as well as project financing contracts.

Ms. Muçaj was graduated in law from the Tirana University (1998) and has a master’s degree in Intellectual Property Law from University of Turin (Italy) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (2007); Diploma in International Practice on Capital Markets and Credit, and Diploma in International Mergers and Acquisition operations issued by the International Bar Association and College of Law of England and Wales.

Ms. Muçaj was a lecturer in the course of Intellectual Property at the University of New York Tirana (2013-2016) and is fluent in English and Italian.

H.E. Mohamed bin Thamer AlKaabi was appointed as Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications in June 2022. He is responsible for regulating, developing and promoting the Transportation and Telecommunications sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as the postal services.

Prior to his appointment as Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Mohamed served as the Undersecretary of Civil Aviation Affairs from 2016 until 2022 and held several senior executive positions at Bahrain Airport Company.

Mohamed has over 40 years experience in the aviation industry and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Glamorgan, UK.

He is currently a board member of the following organisations:

• Chairman of National Space Science Agency (NSSA)


• Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat)


• Economic Development Board

Marsha Caddle is a Barbadian economist and public policy strategist who now serves as Barbados’ Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology.

A former Minister for Economic Affairs and Investment in Barbados from 2018-2022, she helped lead Barbados’ 2018 economic recovery programme, which saw the country’s depleted foreign reserves increase eightfold by the end of the term, and its debt and arrears fall by a third following an international and domestic debt restructuring. She was ministerial negotiator on climate finance for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in Glasgow, 2021, introducing in the outcome document for the first time the use of specialized instruments like redistributed Special Drawing Rights for scaled up finance in climate vulnerable nations. She also led the first reform of physical planning and land use policy in over 50 years.

She has led the Governance practice at the Caribbean Development Bank, the Poverty Reduction Programme at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Eastern Caribbean, and the Economic Security and Rights Programme of the then United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Caribbean.

In her current role, she is leading the establishment of a data and technology industry in Barbados, driven by the distribution of AI computational power to startups and research technologists, to help them build solutions to local and global problems. She is also responsible for developing and guiding execution of Barbados’s Sustainable Industrial Policy, ensuring a just, low-carbon transition at the center of the country’s economic growth and diversification.

She is a pioneer economist in gender equitable macroeconomic policy frameworks, and is a member of the International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE) and the International Working Group on Gender, Macroeconomics and International Economics (GEM-IWG).
Marsha Caddle is a two-term elected Member of Parliament in the Barbados House of Assembly.

He is a lawyer graduated from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés and has a Master’s Degree in Business Management with a Mention in Telecommunications from the Camilo José Cela University of Madrid – Spain, in addition to a second Master’s Degree in Mining Law from the Mining Chamber of Peru and other postgraduate courses in mining, telecommunications, and management.

From 2006 to 2009 he held positions in the Superintendence of Telecommunications – SITTEL, and from 2010 to 2013 in the legal area of the Telecommunications and Transport Regulation and Oversight Authority – ATT. He also served at the Mining Administrative Jurisdictional Authority – AJAM from 2013 to 2019, assuming executive positions such as General Counsel, National Coordinator, Legal Director a.i. and others.

In March 2021, in recognition of his work and academic career, he was appointed by the President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Luis Arce Catacora, as Executive Director of the Telecommunications and Transport Regulation and Oversight Authority (ATT), a position from which he has been carrying out committed and genuine work at the service of the Bolivian people. Finally, at the 25th Plenary Assembly of the Latin American Forum of Telecommunications Regulators – REGULATEL, held in Peru in 2022, he was elected president for the 2024 management of this important international organization.

Anatel’s Commissioner Carlos Baigorri, currently President of the Board of Directors, has a degree in Economic Sciences from the University of Brasília (UnB), with a Master’s and Doctorate in Economics from the Catholic University of Brasília (UCB). Acting in the telecommunications area since 2006, he was a consultant and analyst of sector information in an Association of mobile operators. He has also served as an undergraduate professor at the Catholic University of Brasilia (UCB), at the Institute of Higher Education of Brasília (IESB), and at the Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets (IBMEC). He wrote articles and book chapters published in Brazil and abroad. He has been a career permanent employee at Anatel since 2009, where he has been previously nominated Executive Superintendent, Competition Superintendent, Obligations Control Superintendent and Head of Technical Assistance.

Dr. Li Tian is currently the Head of Standards Strategy of ZTE Corporation, Vice President of China Association for Standardization. He is actively involved in various global standardization organizations including ITU, 3GPP, IEEE, where he served as the rapporteur for several 5G related work items.

His research interests are in the field of ICT technology, and his team contributed significantly to advanced technologies like radio access, AI/ML, future networks, video coding, automobile electronics, network security, etc. Dr. Tian received his B.Sc degree in 2009 and Ph.D degree in 2015, both in Tongji University, China. From 2013 to 2014, he was a visiting researcher in University of Bologna, Italy. He is the first author of a book and contributed to multiple book chapters, with over 50 academic papers published and over 100 patents held globally. He has also delivered multiple keynotes in various academic and industrial events.

Manager of the General Markets Directorate with eleven years of experience in the Superintendence of Telecommunications (SUTEL) from Costa Rica, where she has had- among other responsibilities-, the creation and establishment a system of sectorial indicators since the beginning of the opening of the Costa Rican market to competition. As part of her work at Sutel, she has directed important and diverse work teams in the field of access and interconnection, the application of the sectorial competition regime, economic studies and analysis and development of new regulation.  More recently, she has been involved in the definition of strategies and of the regulatory body as Coordinator of the institutional regulatory Agenda.

She has also experience on market monitoring and market studies for the Costa Rican export products and services.

She is also alternate Commissioner at Coprocom, which is the national authority of competition in Costa Rica.

Economist and Master in Business Administration, Senior Management and Telecommunications studies.

CEO SAMENA Telecommunications Council – UAE
Member Review Board, 5th Generation Collaborative Regulation (G5) Benchmark – ITU
Commissioner Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development – UN
Member Edison Alliance, World Economic Forum (WEF)
Member 2020 G20 Summit Advisory Board – (Former) Digital Economy Task Force – KSA
Chairman Industry Advisory Group for Development Issues & Chief Regulatory Officers Meeting (IAGDI/CRO) – ITU

For over 30 years, Bocar BA has been delivering impact in the Telecom/ICT industry of the MEA region, facilitating collaboration among private-sector and government sector entities in the pursuit of digitization and socio-economic conducive policies. BA’s professional engagement is recognized in industry-wide advocacy activities, especially toward promoting investment sustainability in the private sector of the Middle East. His innate people-centric approach has mobilized multiple consensus-building platforms, cross-regional stakeholders, and issue-specific advocacy on important sector-development challenges. He is collaborating with leading platforms and global telecommunications development institutions, including the ITU, UN Broadband Commission, the World Bank (WB), and World Economic Forum (WEF), among others, as an objective-minded representative of the private sector and as an advocate of effective policy-making and future-friendly regulation, which are crucial for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that all nations across the globe have agreed to in the larger interest of their socio-economic development needs. BA is a principal advisor to various business, investment, and regulatory entities and assists governments in addressing matters relating to digital infrastructure investment, innovation catalysts, sustainable digital economy, job-creation, and citizen-centric public-sector delivery through the use of ICTs. Bocar BA has chaired consensus-building and contributed to the development of recommendations for leaders worldwide to help accelerate digital infrastructure development and digitalization. 

Julissa Cruz Abreu, current Executive Director of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL), has more than two decades of experience in public service. At the institution, she has been Director of International Relations, Compliance Commissioner, and Head of the Regulation Department, playing a fundamental role in the creation of the regulatory framework and leading the implementation of number portability in 2009. Likewise, he has directed significant projects, such as the National Broadband Plan of the Dominican Republic, the Radio Spectrum Tender for the deployment of fifth-generation networks (5G), being the second country to have this technology in the region, and the coordination of the Connectivity and Access Axis of the 2030 Digital Agenda. His management has stood out for the promotion of regulatory measures to strengthen competition and innovation, including the identification of relevant markets and the implementation of the Regulatory Sandbox.

She has been nominated as a finalist for the CONECTA LATAM AWARDS 2023 in the « Most Connected Woman of the Year » category. This award honors women who, by driving innovation, have truly made a difference in their company, telecommunications industry, and community. Similarly, at the same event, INDOTEL was recognized as « Telecom Regulator of the Year ». This award distinguishes a new or innovative regulatory approach on an outstanding contribution and achievement by the regulator, promoting an efficient and effective telecommunications policy.

Within the framework of the event « 5G Latin America: Digital Symposium 2021 », INDOTEL was awarded as « Innovative Regulator of the Year » for the tender project for the 700Mhz and 3.5Ghz bands led by this management.

Through the Digital Basket Project, she has led a pioneering subsidy program focused on gender, benefiting more than 2000 women heads of household. In addition, it has promoted the inclusion and dissemination of users’ rights, introducing guides in Braille and attention in sign language, with the collaboration of service provider companies.

Cruz Abreu has made an impact at the international level by leading the Dominican Republic’s active participation in the ITU P2C initiative, achieving the incorporation of new actors and commitments for the country’s connectivity and sustainable digital transformation.

With a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a master’s degree in Corporate Finance from the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), he has specialized his knowledge in Regulatory Economics, Regulation of Public Utilities, and Price Regulation in the Telecommunications Industry. In addition, he completed the Innovation and Government Leadership program at Georgetown University’s business school. Her international experience includes working at Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition, as well as participating as a speaker at conferences on various topics, from Number Portability to Gender Equity and ICT Inclusion. In addition, he has advised regulators in Central America and has taught at various seminars, workshops and courses on telecommunications regulation. She has also been selected as an Ambassador for Connectivity for Education by the Inter-American Dialogue.

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Disclaimer: The content of this bio has been translated from the original version in Spanish.

Eng. El-Gamal is a Telecom Executive, and former Executive President at National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA).

With a track record in telecom industry, Eng. El-Gamal breaks into new markets globally and delivers multi-business turnarounds across B2B and B2C markets. He has established firm relations with other telecom regulatory authorities worldwide and been able to strategize the big picture, manage the fine details, and drive unprecedented growth in telecom regulation.

During Eng. El-Gamal’s tenure as Executive President at NTRA, NTRA made its way as an ITU renowned member with a plenty of milestones and awards achieved. The telecom regulatory authority of Egypt was also awarded the ISO-9001 certification of Organizational Quality Management System.

Eng. El-Gamal had been appointed the Minister’s Assistant for Networks and ICT Infrastructure at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) for one year, before which he held different positions in major international companies such as, the Vice President for Strategy, Marketing and Solution Sales in Huawei Egypt as well as the Regional Director of Business and Network Consulting Department at Huawei Technologies, North Africa, for more than 5 years.

Prior to joining Huawei, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal served as the Acting CTO and Capital Project Management Officer at MTN-Yemen from 2009 to 2011.

It’s worth noting that Eng. El-Gamal obtained a B.Sc. in Engineering from Alexandria University in 1998, and Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Robert Kennedy College (RKC), Switzerland in 2014.

Eng. El-Gamal also received the PMP Certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the USA and the Certificate of Leadership Development for the International Organizations from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

H.E. Laurence MENGUE-ME-NZOGHE, spouse of NDONG and daughter of Michel NZOGHE, was born on October 29, 1971 in Douala.

Ms Ngong has a Doctorate in Educational Sciences, with a specialization in Experimental Sciences. She also holds of a master’s degree in public administration, with a specialization in Management of the State and Public Organizations. She is a former Deputy Director General for the Advancement of Women, in charge of the institutionalization of the gender and development. She is a senior civil servant, community leader and Gabonese politician. Laurence Ndong is also a Pastor. Co-opted by the Universal Bible Society, she was the editor and member of the editorial board of the « African Women’s Meditation Bible ».

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Disclaimer: The content of this bio has been translated from the original version in French below:

Laurence MENGUE-ME-NZOGHE, épouse NDONG, fille de Michel NZOGHE, est née le 29 octobre 1971 à Douala.

Docteur en Sciences de l’Éducation, option Didactique des Sciences expérimentales, titulaire d’un Master en administration publique, option management public de l’Etat et des organisations publiques, ancienne Directrice Générale adjointe de la promotion de la femme, chargée de l’institutionnalisation de l’approche genre et développement. Elle est haut fonctionnaire, leader associatif et femme politique gabonaise. Laurence Ndong est également Pasteur. Cooptée par la Société Biblique Universelle, elle a été rédactrice et membre du comité d’édition de la « Bible de méditation par les Femmes Africaines ».

Professor (Dr.) Bimal N. Patel is currently the Vice-Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University (Pioneering National Security and Police University of India, www.rru.ac.in) and a Member, National Security Advisory Board of India. Professor Patel is serving as Member, UN International Law Commission (2023-2027). Professor Patel has served as the Director (Vice Chancellor) of the Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar for two consecutive terms (2008-2019). Professor Patel also served as a member of 21st Law Commission of India (2015-2018). Professor Patel obtained his PhD in International Law and LLM from, Leiden University and another PhD in international law from, Jaipur National University.

Professor Patel is a former international civil servant, scholar and academician of international law, national security matters and diplomacy. Professor Patel has been involved in various national and international organisations and has played key role in drafting of various legislations.

His specialisation includes international litigation and arbitration (ICJ, ITLOS, PCA); law of the sea and maritime law and international humanitarian law and national security and international law.

Dr. IMAGAWA Takuo joined the Japanese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in 1990, and has been engaged in various information and communications technology policies at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Prior to his current position, he served as Director-General of the Telecommunications Bureau. His career also includes the positions of Director-General of the Secretariat and Director-General of the Postal Services Policy Planning Department in the Information and Communications Bureau.

He received his B.A.S. and M.A. in systems studies from the University of Tokyo and his M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. His experience in academia highly contributes to his theoretical background in policy-making. He taught economics at Osaka University as an associate professor from 2000 to 2003, and he served as a visiting scholar at several universities, such as the University of Tokyo and Waseda University. His research interests include information economics, industrial organization, and urban economics.

He is the author of numerous books and articles in the field of information and economics. His publications include Economic Analysis of Telecommunications, Technology, and Cities in Japan (2002), Empirical Analyses of Recession under Deflation (co-author, 2002), and The Governance of the Advanced Information Society (co-author, 2003).

Mr. Eliud Owalo, FIHRM, EGH is the former Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy in Kenya.

He worked as an Economist, Management Consultant and Strategy Expert between 2001 – 2022. Until his appointment as CS, Mr. Owalo was a practicing Managing Consultant at Eliud & Associates (E&A) Management Consultants, an International Management Consultancy and Training firm. He holds a BA Degree in Economics and Business Studies from Kenyatta University, an MBA Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Nairobi and is currently a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Candidate in Strategic Management at the University of Nairobi.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Human Resource Management (FIHRM); Member of the Professional Trainers’ Association of Kenya (PTAK); and a former Director/Council Member of the Kenya School of Government (KSG).

His lead consultancy assignments in both the Public and Private Sectors have focused mainly on Macro and Micro-Economics; Strategic Planning; Business Planning; Organizational Re-structuring; Job Evaluation and Pay Structure Architecture; Performance Management; Management of Strategic Change; Training Needs Assessment (T.N.A.); Organizational Design/Development; Executive Search, Selection and Placement (Recruitment); Human Resource Audit; Market Research/Surveys; and Feasibility Studies.

Honourable Nthati Moorosi is the Minister of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation.

She was appointed to this position in November 04, 2022, following her election into the National Assembly in the 2022 National Assembly Election, representing the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) at Thetsane Constituency No. 34.

Honorable Moorosi is the Secretary General of the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP).

Her education background is a mix of Humanities, Media Studies and Gender Studies. For her first degree, she studied English Language and Literature at the National University of Lesotho. Then she enrolled with the University of Natal in Durban (Now transformed into University of KwaZulu-Natal) in 2000 for Honors and Master’s degree in Cultural and Media Studies. Her passion for advocacy in gender equality was further advanced by her undertaking of a Postgraduate Diploma in Gender Studies at the University of Free State in 2010.

Before March 2022, she has been an Independent Consultant who operated within and outside the company she founded in October 2013 – BANLIN Communications and Development Consultancy. She specialized in Communications, Public Relations, Stakeholder Engagement as well as Events Management. She is an expert in developing and implementing communications strategies for different organizations including the UNDP for the Project named: Reducing Vulnerability from Climate Change in the Foothills, Lowlands and Senqu River Basin; Bureau of Statistics (UNDP), Maseru City Council (World Bank), Africa Adaption Program (UNDP) for the project named:

She worked as a Director of Corporate Affairs at Maluti Mountain Brewary (MMB) for three years. Since March 2017, she left her position as the Director of Corporate at the Maluti Mountain Brewery to manage her businesses, including her consultancy firm named, Banlin Communications and development Consultancy. Under Banlin Communications and Development Consultancy, she continues to develop communication strategies and stakeholders’ engagement plans for the different companies as well as edit documents, translate then into Sesotho and write speeches and reports where relevant.

Before joining MMB in October 2013, she worked as Head of Public Outreach for the Millennium Change Account (MCS) Lesotho from November 2009 to end of compact in January 2013.

Her career started in 1998 as a High School Teacher of English Language and Literature in English subjects at Bonhomme High School in Mohale’s Hoek.

In 2000, she took a short break to further her studies. She later joined World Vision International as the Communications Coordinator in 2003, for a year and half, before she joined United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as Communications Specialist. In 2007, she was appointed the Director of Communications and Marketing for the National University of Lesotho before moving on to MCA-Lesotho in 2009.

Daud Elvin Suleman, the Director General of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is an avid technology enthusiast with over 18 years of experience in the fintech and banking sector.

Daud worked with the first microbank that opened in Malawi, targeting rural and underserved markets with technologically based banking services; paperless banking halls and biometric identification.

As a highly experienced IT practitioner in Malawi, Daud is heading a team of passionate professionals at MACRA which is aiming at deepening access to affordable, secure and quality communication services to all Malawians.

 

Aishath Adnan is the Co-Founder of Women in Tech Maldives, a non-profit organization committed to inspiring, empowering, and celebrating women in science and technology in the Maldives. Her commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion is evident through her leadership in amplifying cybersecurity awareness and digital literacy on both national and regional platforms.

With over 16 years of experience across various domains in the technology sector, Aishath has successfully spearheaded digital transformation initiatives in both public and private sectors. Currently, she serves as the Manager for Information Systems at Allied Insurance Company of the Maldives. Her career highlights include designing and executing innovative e-Government solutions during her tenure at the National Center for Information Technology Maldives.

As a TEDx and keynote speaker, Aishath addresses critical issues such as gender equality in technology, cybersecurity awareness, and the transformative power of technology. She is dedicated to mentoring aspiring professionals, designing educational programs, and advocating for the prevention of the digital divide.

In addition to her corporate and advocacy roles, Aishath is the Chief Operating Officer at Spark Hub, a consultancy firm focused on enhancing the startup ecosystem in the Maldives. She is also a Co-Founder of the Maldives Startup Network- NGO dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the Maldives. She also serves on the executive committee of the Maldives Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

Honourable Emma Inamutila Theofelus is a young, 28-year-old Namibian woman who serves as a Member of Parliament and the Minister of Information and Communication Technology in the Republic of Namibia.

Before her appointment, Honourable Emma was always policy adjacent and was a Youth Activist around issues of gender, children’s rights, and sustainable development and against youth unemployment. She served as the Deputy Speaker of the Youth Parliament of the Republic of Namibia, Board Member of the National Council of Higher Education and the Junior Mayor of the City of Windhoek amongst other roles.

Born and bred in Windhoek, Namibia, Honourable Emma holds an LLB Honours Degree from the University of Namibia where she served as Secretary General of the Student Union in her final year of study; a diploma in Business Management from Amity University and a diploma in Afrikan Feminism and Gender Studies from the University of South Africa. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in ICT Policy and Regulation at the University of Witwatersrand.

Honourable Emma is currently awarded the Laureate in the Individual Category of the United Nations Population Award, 2022 and serves as a board member of the Leadership Council of Africa REACH. She has been recognised as the BBC 100 Most Influential Women in the World 2021, named as Avance Media 100 Most Influential Young Africans 2020 & 2021, named as the New African 100 Most influential Africans of 2020, Reputation Poll 100 Most Reputable Africans 2020 and named as the Emerging African Young Leader by the African Leadership Magazine 2022.

Honourable Emma is currently a council member of Nala Feminist Collective where she is championing digital justice on the African continent. She was further nominated for the One Young World Politician of the Year Award 2020 & in 2021. In her current role, Honourable Emma plans to better communicate the activities and programs of the Government of the Republic of Namibia, create a more digitally literate nation, increase access to the internet among Namibians and assist in preparing the Namibian nation for the 4th Industrial Revolution.

HE engineer Omar currently occupies the position of the Executive President of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the Sultanate of Oman since August 2020. He has an extensive experience of more than 20 years in the ICT sector.

He was the General Manager of Electronic Census for Population, Housing, and Establishments 2020 where he led a team of specialists from different departments of the State Administrative Apparatus and some private sector institutions to build a comprehensive national database to achieve the objectives of the first register-based census in Oman. He also worked from 2013 till the beginning of 2017 as an executive manager at Ultra Electronics of Britain that is specialized in the security and defence industry. From 2007 up to 2013 engineer Omar was employed by Cisco Systems Co. of USA which is specialized in the field of technology and information. The last position he occupied in the company was the Regional Manager of Sales where he contributed by establishing a number of academic training for the company in the area.

On the academic level, HE Omar has a high diploma in Organizational Leadership from Oxford University in 2014, a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Sultan Qaboos University in 2001 as well as a number of specialized certificates in project management and in the ICT field.

Dr. Umar Saif is a renowned computer scientist, entrepreneur and investor.

Dr. Saif was a cabinet member in Government of Punjab and served as the Chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) from 2011-2018. His work led to a radical digital transformation of the government in Punjab and several of his initiatives were replicated throughout the country. He was the founding Vice Chancellor of ITU and established it as one of premier technology universities in Pakistan. Dr. Saif founded Plan9, Pakistan’s first government-backed startup incubator, as well as Punjab’s e-rozgaar program. He is often cited as one of the main forces behind Pakistan’s startup ecosystem.

As an entrepreneur, Dr. Saif founded aiSight.ai, Pakistan’s largest AI data analytics company. He was also the CEO of Khudi Ventures, Pakistan’s largest startup venture studio. He worked as the Chief Digital Officer of the Jang/Geo group. He has worked as an advisor to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Pakistan.

Dr. Saif received his PhD in Computer Science in 2001 at University of Cambridge and worked at MIT for several years before returning to Pakistan. He was the first Pakistani to be named as one of the top 35 young innovators in the world by the MIT Technology Review (TR35) and the first Pakistani to receive a Google faculty research award in 2011. He was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2010. He has received the MIT Technovator Award, Mark Weiser Award, IDG Technology Pioneer Award and the British Council Outstanding Alumni Award. Dr. Saif was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2014, one of the highest civil awards by government of Pakistan. He was named among the 500 most influential Muslims in the world consecutively between 2015-2023. In 2018, he was awarded the UNESCO Chair for using ICT for Development. Dr. Saif has founded several technology companies and serves on the board of various private, public and financial institutions.

Jocelle Batapa-Sigue is a distinguished Filipino woman leader known for her pioneering work in information and communications technology (ICT), legal and gender advocacy, and public service. With a career spanning over two decades, she has made significant contributions to the development of the ICT sector in the Philippines, particularly in fostering technology-driven economic development in the countryside.

As an awardee of The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) for her work in ICT, Jocelle has held numerous leadership positions, including Past President and Co-Founder of the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) and the Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation for ICT (BNEFIT) and has served three terms as a councilor of Bacolod City. Her recognition extends to being named one of the Asia Society Top Ten Philippines 21 Young Leaders in 2009 and being selected as an Eisenhower Fellow from the Philippines in 2012 and IT-BPM Contributor of the Year in 2014.

Jocelle’s work focuses on driving digital innovation and inclusion, particularly in the countryside, aiming to create a citizen-centric government through enhanced digital platforms and solutions. She is actively involved in policies and initiatives that foster digital inclusivity and skills development, ensuring that Filipinos are prepared for the evolving demands of the digital age. Her vision emphasizes collaboration across sectors to enhance the Philippines’ digital landscape, and to fostering a digital ecosystem that is inclusive, secure, and forward-looking.

As co-founder of several ICT organizations, she has played a crucial role in bridging the gap between government, the private sector, and academic institutions to drive jobs and investments throughout the country. As a lawyer and a public servant, Jocelle has held various positions where she has been instrumental in implementing reforms and initiatives aimed at improving governance, transparency, and public service.

Jocelle is also a sought-after speaker and consultant, sharing her expertise in ICT, governance, and legal matters with diverse audiences worldwide. Her work continues to inspire a new generation of leaders in the Philippines and beyond, making her a respected figure in her field.

For more detailed insights into her work and contributions, you can visit her website at jocellebatapasigue.com, where you can find information on her projects, achievements, and ongoing initiatives to drive digital progress in the Philippines.

Marta Arsovska Tomovska brings over two decades of leadership in political, management, and advisory capacities, focusing on digital innovation and skills development for the future.

Currently, she is Serbian Prime Minister’s Advisor and Director for Digitalization, previously serving as North Macedonia’s Minister for Information Society and Public Administration. Tomovska’s career includes executive roles in IT and telecom, alongside advising various governments.

She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Technology Policy and the G20 Digital Agenda Working Group. Her educational background includes an MSc in Marketing, MSc and BSc in Electrical Engineering, and a Graduate Certificate from the Kellogg School of Management. Tomovska is also ITU’s certified expert in building national digital innovation ecosystems and Joint SDG Fund expert evaluator for Digital Transformation. Throughout her career, she has earned multiple accolades from UN organizations for her significant contributions to the ICT sector.

Minister Naadir Nigel Hamid Hassan was appointed Minister for Finance, National Planning and Trade on 3^rd November 2020.

He studied at the University of Manchester from 2001 to 2005 and holds a Bachelor’s degree with honours in International Business, Finance and Economics and from 2012 to 2013 at the University of Stirling and holds a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance.

Upon his graduation, Mr Hassan joined the Policy and Strategy Department at the Ministry of Finance as a Policy Analyst and thereafter got promoted to Senior Policy Analyst. After two years at Finance (2005 to 2007) he moved to the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) as a Public Debt Officer and shortly transferred to Financial Services Supervision as a Financial Services Analyst from 2007 to September 2009.  He rose through the ranks as a Senior Financial Services Analyst, Director and ultimately Head of the Department. After 14 years at CBS, in July 2020, he moved to Cable and Wireless Seychelles as Chief Digital and Risk Officer.

Mr Hassan was part of the Finance team that initiated discussions to start the process of joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and also trade agreements with European Union.  He also initiated the process for significant liberalization of tariffs. He was on the CBS technical team working on the 2008 economic reform programme which was supported by International Monetary Fund (IMF).  Mr Hassan has also formed part of numerous High-Level committees at the Central Bank responsible for monetary policy and implementations, international reserves investments and management, risk management and human resources policy development.  He was the Chairman of the Financial Sector Development Technical Commitee at CBS and was Vice-Chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) sub committee on banking supervision.

During his leisure time Mr Hassan enjoys fishing and his sporting passion is football.

Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Informatics of the University of Maribor.

In the past, she managed the 4PDIH Digital Innovation Hub – a partnership between the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Association of Municipalities of Slovenia that raises awareness of the importance of digitalization, provides support in the development of digital knowledge and skills, and helps decision makers design appropriate digitalization policies.

Her work in research and development focused on the use of new digital technologies for innovation in and the development of cities, villages and communities, digital innovation hubs, rural development and digital transformation.

Dr Stojmenova Duh was the first President of IEEE’s « Women in Engineering Slovenia ». She was also the first Slovenian woman representative at the Global Young Academy and a member of the European Research Area Working Group within ALLEA – All European Academies. She is strongly committed to increasing the number of young people studying engineering – especially women.

She is author and co-author of a number of scientific and professional publications concerning digital transformation.

Deputy Minister Mondli Gungubele was appointed as the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies of the Republic of South Africa with effect from 6 March 2023. He previously served as Minister in the Presidency responsible for the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), the National Planning Commission (NPC), Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), the Government Communication Information System (GCIS) and the State Security Agency (SSA).

Deputy Minister Gungubele has extensive experience in local, provincial, and national government and believes in strategic planning and effective monitoring of systems to ensure that government is held accountable to deliver services to the people. He is a political activist who spent much of his youth fighting for a liberated and just South Africa which is united in diversity.

Deputy Minister Gungubele became involved in the trade union movement in the ‘70s and it is this experience that sharpened his political and negotiation skills. In 1982, he became a member of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and would later be elected as a Chairperson of his Local Branch of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in 1989. In 1992, he was elected as the Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) Vosloorus Branch, and later became the founding Chairperson of the ANC East Rand Region. In the same year, he was elected to the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the ANC in Gauteng.

In 1994, Deputy Minister Gungubele was deployed as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and was subsequently appointed as the MEC of Health in the Gauteng Provincial Government in 1997. He held this position until 1999. He was then deployed to lead Gauteng’s Sports, Recreation and Arts and Culture agenda as its MEC where he worked tirelessly to unite all sporting codes and contributed to the development of grassroots sports in Gauteng. He held the position until 2004 in the year South Africa was awarded the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup showpiece.

After the 2004 Provincial and National Elections, Gungubele became the Chairperson of the Economic Affairs Portfolio Committee in the Gauteng Legislature where he was responsible for political oversight and ensuring that the Department of Economic Affairs fulfilled its mandate to the people.

In 2009, he was deployed to the National Assembly as an ANC Member of Parliament, where he served as the Whip of the Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee. He was later redeployed to the City of Ekurhuleni as the City’s Executive Mayor in 2011. It is during this time where he drove the City’s Governance and Administrative record to clean audits and numerous awards on good governance.

In 2016, he was deployed back to Parliament and served on the Portfolio Committees on Communications and Public Enterprises respectively. Mr Gungubele was part of the collective which led SABC Inquiry and the Eskom Inquiry – both processes which paved the way for the turnaround of these two State Owned Enterprises.

Deputy Minister Gungubele was then appointed as the Deputy Minister of Finance from February 2018 until the general elections in May 2019. After the commencement of the 6^th Parliament in June 2019, he was deployed as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee of Social Development and the Convener of the Social Transformation Cluster.

Deputy Minister Gungubele holds a B Com (Law) Degree and a National Diploma in Nursing with various certificate courses. He also serves as a member of the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee of the African National Congress as elected in December 2022.

Jabiri Bakari (Ph.D) is a Tanzanian pracademic: his experience spans both the academic and practical realms. He is a researcher, trainer, analyst and advisor of repute with over 26 years of experience in ICT Management. He is currently the Director General of Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and serves as a part time facilitator of Directorship programs focusing on ICT Governance at the Institute of Directors in Tanzania (IoDT) from 2017 to date.

Bakari holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Computer and Systems Sciences from Stockholm University in Sweden (2007), specialized in ICT Security Management, a Master’s of Science Degree (Engineering) in Data Communication from the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Sheffield University, UK (1999), and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania (1996). His main research is in the field of Cyber security management on which he has published and presented a number of papers and articles at the ISSA, IFIP, and IEEE International Conferences.

He was the first CEO of the e-Government Agency. He played a key role in its establishment in April, 2012 and later spearheaded its transformation into the e-Government Authority (e-GA) following the enactment of the e-Government Act No.10 of 2019. Prior to joining e-GA, he had worked for 5 years (2007 – 2012) as a Senior Lecturer and Director of the Institute of Educational Technology (IET) at the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) the post he took after 10 years (1996 – 2007) of holding various technical, management and leadership posts at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) including that of the Deputy Managing Director of the UCC LTD.

Ciyong Zou is a Deputy to the Director General and the Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development

The Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development oversees the Organization’s normative contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, in addition to supporting and advancing the application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development in the environment, energy, and SME areas. Advancing competitiveness and job creation are also key impact dimensions for the Directorate, in addition to the advancement of digitalization and artificial intelligence.  Mr Zou is also the Director General’s Special Representative for the G77 and China.

At UNIDO since 2013, Zou is the architect of UNIDO’s Programme for Country Partnership, and has guided the Organization’s field and strategic engagements.

Before joining UNIDO, he performed multiple roles, including as Deputy Director General of International Department at the Chinese Ministry of Finance, Alternate to the Chinese Executive Director at the World Bank, and Global Environmental Facility Operational Focal Point for China.

Zou holds a Ph.D. in Economics from China’s Ministry of Finance Graduate School, Research Institute for Fiscal Science.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Bernardo Mariano Jr. of Mozambique as Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO), Assistant Secretary-General, Office of Information and Communications Technology, on 1 June 2021. His tenure began 1 August 2021.

Mr. Mariano brings to the position 28 years of experience within the United Nations system and international organizations, most recently serving as the Chief Information Officer and Director for Digital Health and Innovation at the World Health Organization (WHO), where he led the organization’s digital transformation journey, leveraging digital technologies and innovations to accelerate the achievement of WHO strategic goals.

He started his career in 1993 with International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Mozambique and continued with IOM in Haiti, Mali, Angola, Kenya, Kosovo and South Africa in addition to Geneva, Switzerland before joining WHO in 2018.

Mr. Mariano served as IOM Senior Regional Adviser for Sub-Saharan Africa (2017-2018), Regional Director for Southern Africa (2009-2015) and served as IOM Chief Information Officer (2015-2017, 2002-2011). During this tenure, he championed several business transformation initiatives, driving innovations in operation and management systems, Enterprise Resource Planning systems, information technology, project management and network infrastructure.

He holds a Master of Science in Global Management from Salford University (United Kingdom), and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique. Mr. Mariano is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish, with a very good knowledge of French.

Ms. Dima Al-Khatib took up her duties as Director of UNOSSC on 1 March 2023. She is a Sustainable Development Professional bringing more than 25 years of leadership and management experience in several duty stations to her role.

Prior to joining UNOSSC, Ms. Al-Khatib served as the UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova. Prior to that, she held several positions including that of Programme and Policy Coordinator at the UNDP Regional Hub in Amman, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Kuwait, and UNDP Deputy Country Director in Libya.

Ms. Al-Khatib holds a Diplome d’Etudes Approfondies (DEA) in Environmental Health from the Lebanese University and France University of Bordeaux II, and a Bachelor of Science and a Teaching Diploma in Environmental Health from the American University of Beirut.

Dr Gift Kallisto Machengete is the Director General of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ). He has over 40 years working experience as an economist, strategist and diplomat, having worked as Director of Finance and Administration in the Government of Zimbabwe, Economic Counsellor at the Zimbabwean Embassy in China and Deputy Ambassador at the Zimbabwean Embassy in Malaysia. He has also worked as a part – time Lecturer for Research Methodology at Master’s level and a Thesis Moderator for the same course for the past 20 years. He is a holder of a Doctorate in Business Administration, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.