Nigerian-born product leader, Miss Obiageli Okafor (popularly called Obii), has been named Women in Telecoms Champion at the Comms Council UK Awards 2026, becoming the first African to receive the honour since the category was created.
Okafor, a Senior Product Manager at global cloud communications firm 8×8 and Co-Founder of a nonprofit – PMHelp, was recognised for her contribution to UK telecoms and her work expanding access to technology for professionals across Africa and beyond on July 17, 2026.
Speaking to our correspondent in Enugu on Monday, she said, “I was genuinely shocked.”
She added, “My first thought was gratitude, for everyone who had believed in me, from my family and colleagues at 8×8 to my PMHelp community, and for the younger version of myself in Nigeria who could never have imagined standing on a stage in London receiving recognition from an entire industry.”
The award recognises women making an outstanding contribution to UK telecoms, an industry where women make up less than one-fifth of the workforce, according to figures cited by industry body techUK, with the shortfall sharpest at management and director level. Ofcom and leading UK telecoms firms have pledged to attract, retain and promote more women in the sector. Related News NiDCOM celebrates first Black woman with Pure Mathematics PhD in S’Africa, another Nigerian Customs pledge support for National Merit Award VIDEO: Nigerian shines, delivers valedictory speech in Russian after graduating from medical school with 4.90 CGPA
