Nigeria’s most influential awards in the business and telecom sector, Nigerian telecom awards last week in Lagos announced the list of nominated companies to vie for the top spot in this year’s competition.

The release, according the secretariat which was signed by the Secretary General, Chief Biodun Ajiboye, stated that it was the result of the hard work of the earlier announced panel of primary assessors.

The primary assessors panel consists of experienced ICT editors of national newspapers, namely Nigerian Tribune, The Sun, Thisday, Guardian, Vanguard, and a financial analyst who handled the banking and financial products’ assessment.

The journey to the 2012 awards, according to the release, started since April 14, immediately after last year’s awards which marked the 10th year of telecom revolution in the country.

The awards programme, over the years, has seen many heroes of telecoms being rewarded for their efforts since the telecom revolution began.

Speaking further about the nominations, Biodun Ajiboye, the Publisher of one of Nigeria’s front-line ICT publications, Nigerian Telecomnews, said the assessment team also comprised of the panel of judges, which is mainly full and substantive editors of major newspapers.

This panel has the responsibility to peruse the preliminary assessment report of the primary assessors, before releasing it to the public.

The appointment of competent persons, particularly journalists was greeted with a lot of interest in the industry, and was heralded as a way of ascertaining that the right assessments are made before public pronouncements.

A total number of 88 companies shall compete about 33 categories of awards.

The nomination list was said to be available on the website of Nigeria telecom awards, www.nigeria telecomawards.com.

 Chief Ajiboye said Nigerians are free to make their comments and or vote for any nominee of their choice, and that the opinion of the public shall count in the overall assessment, but will be subject to scrutiny by an appropriate authority.