The Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) on Tuesday honoured distinguished Nigerians for outstanding contributions to public service, humanitarian advancement, and national unity as it marked its third investiture anniversary in Abuja.
ACOE Chairman, Shola Akingboye, said the awards reflect the association’s commitment to national development and its mission to translate principles and policies into impactful programmes. He stressed that the recognitions were strictly merit-based and aligned with ACOE’s vision of promoting excellence across Nigeria’s corporate online media landscape.
One of the ceremony’s key highlights was the recognition of Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, Director-General/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), celebrated as one of the country’s most transformative public sector reformers. Represented by NIMC’s Director of Media, Dr. Kayode Adegoke, her citation detailed landmark achievements, including clearing legacy backlogs, expanding the national identity database to 250 million records, nationwide deployment of mobile enrollment devices, data harmonisation across over 20 federal agencies, and the introduction of advanced verification systems.
She was honoured for empowering millions through digital identity and modernising Nigeria’s identity infrastructure.
Similarly, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, was recognised for redefining national road safety administration. His citation highlighted major milestones such as FRSC’s ISO 9001:2015 certification, expansion of national rescue services, deployment of 36,000 personnel and 750 patrol vehicles, the launch of FRSC Traffic Radio 107.1FM, and technological upgrades in driver licensing and crash analytics. He was described as a “guardian of public safety” committed to ensuring every journey ends safely.
Other awardees included the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr. Issa-Onilu; CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Chief Gbenga Komolafe; and Nigeria’s fallen heroes members of the armed forces who paid the supreme price between 2010 and 2025. The emotional tribute to the fallen heroes received standing ovations as ACOE reaffirmed its dedication to unity and national remembrance.
In his welcome remarks, Akingboye praised ACOE members for their resilience over the past three years, upholding the association’s core values of “Speed, Accuracy & Truth.” He described the anniversary as more than a ceremony, emphasising that it represents a renewed commitment to professionalism within Nigeria’s digital media ecosystem.
“To our award recipients, your accomplishments remind us of what can be achieved when passion meets professionalism. This award should inspire you to do even more for our nation,” he said.
He urged members to recommit to ethical standards, innovation, and accountability, noting that ACOE must remain a benchmark for the corporate online media industry. He added that the theme of the anniversary, “Strengthening Corporate Online Media for National Development,” captures the association’s mission to enhance professionalism, integrity and digital capability among online editors.
The event rounded off with the cutting of the anniversary cake, group photographs, and networking sessions among stakeholders.
