Dr. Daniel Ekpah, a senior lecturer in the Department of Electronic Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, has received the prestigious 2024 Cisco Premier+ Award for Cybersecurity. The award, presented during the Cisco Networking Academy Partner Conference in Dubai, celebrates his remarkable contributions to cybersecurity education and capacity building in Africa and beyond.
This is the second time Dr. Ekpah has been recognized with this honor, which highlights individuals and institutions making a transformative impact through Cisco’s Networking Academy (NetAcad).
Dr. Ekpah’s influence reaches beyond Nigeria, with students from countries like the United Kingdom and the United States benefiting from the programs he helped design. Sharing his joy on LinkedIn, he wrote:
“Hard work truly pays! I received the 2024 Cisco Premier+ award on behalf of my institution for the second time. My special thanks to Mr. Ahmed Elkabbany, Mr. Imoh Akpan, and Mr. Karim Ebeed for their continuous support to NetAcad in MEA.”
In an interview with The Guardian, Dr. Ekpah described the award as a testament to years of dedication and innovation. Over the past year, his team trained more than 16,000 individuals across West Africa, Europe, and other regions, while also donating vital networking equipment to enhance IT education.
His efforts have also led to the certification of over 200 cybersecurity instructors, significantly boosting the region’s capacity to address growing digital security challenges.
“At Cisco Networking Academy, we provide IT training to students and individuals interested in opportunities in cybersecurity, computer networking, and more, from the associate level to professional levels,” Dr. Ekpah explained.
He further noted that the award reflects the scope and impact of their training programs:
“So the award came as a result of an impact in capacity building and our outreach—the number of individuals who are trained and the success stories of those we’ve trained. So all that put together gave us this award.”
Dr. Ekpah has been instrumental in integrating Cisco Networking Academy programs into the curricula of several leading Nigerian universities, including Igbinedion University, the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), and Ignatius Ajuru University. This initiative ensures that graduates are equipped with practical, industry-relevant IT skills essential for thriving in the digital economy.
Looking ahead, Dr. Ekpah plans to partner with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to provide free cybersecurity training to corps members, expanding the reach of the program and equipping more young Nigerians with in-demand digital skills.
He expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Iyeopu M. Suminialaye, for their unwavering support in providing the infrastructure needed for these programs to succeed.
Since its establishment in 1997, the Cisco Networking Academy has played a critical role in bridging the global digital skills gap. The program has trained 24 million learners across 191 countries and aims to empower 25 million people with digital skills by 2032, including 200,000 U.S. students in cybersecurity by 2025.
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