Nigerian-born technology executive Obiageli Obii Okafor has become the first African woman to receive the Women in Telecoms Champion award at the Comms Council UK Awards 2026, earning recognition for her contributions to the United Kingdom’s telecommunications industry.
The award recognises women making significant contributions to innovation, leadership and long-term growth within the UK’s telecoms sector, marking another achievement in Okafor’s journey from Nigeria to becoming a respected figure in global technology.
Okafor is a Senior Product Manager at 8×8 and the founder of PMHelp, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping professionals build careers in technology.
Through mentoring, education and career development programmes, the initiative has supported more than 52,000 people across over 70 countries.
Reacting after receiving the award in London, Okafor said the honour came as a complete surprise because she was only aware that her colleagues had nominated her.
