SBTS Group has announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Evelyn A. Lewis, has been named one of Nigeria’s “50 Most Valuable Personalities in the Digital Economy” by ITEdgeNews.Africa. This prestigious recognition honours leaders who have played a pivotal role in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation over the past decade.
Mr. Lewis’s recognition highlights his visionary leadership in driving Africa-focused digital innovation, skills development, and inclusive economic growth. Through SBTS Group’s strategic partnership with Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), he is leading one of the continent’s most ambitious human capital development initiatives: training 5 million Nigerian youths and creating 50,000 digital jobs by 2030.
At the heart of this initiative is the Intelligent Capacity Building Model (ICBM), a turnkey platform conceptualized by Mr. Lewis to bridge the gap between training and employment. The ICBM is currently being implemented across DBI’s campuses nationwide, delivering career tracks in Bussiness Process Outsourcing (BPO), cybersecurity, software development, AI, and digital entrepreneurship, all aligned with Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and the federal government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program. The SBTS and DBI are currently set to launch series of training and BPO centres starting with Abuja and Enugu in south eastern Nigeria in June targeting at providing in excess of 5000 jobs in the first instance.
Mr. Lewis has also overseen the development of a unified digital learning and registration infrastructure for DBI, integrating identity systems such as NIN and BVN and supporting student sponsorship, enterprise partnerships, and career tracking.
These systems lay the foundation for a national framework to scale workforce transformation and institutional accountability.
The award was presented during the “Nigeria: State of the Digital Economy 2025” colloquium and awards ceremony held in Lagos. The event convened leaders from government, academia, and the private sector to celebrate individuals whose impact is shaping Nigeria’s digital future.
Evelyn Lewis’s leadership reflects SBTS Group’s enduring commitment to high-impact collaboration, workforce development, and building a globally competitive digital economy from within Africa. This recognition further validates the bold vision and practical action SBTS Group continues to bring to the continent’s digital transformation journey.
The 50 Most Valuable Personalities (50MVPs) award is an annual initiative recognizing public and private sector leaders advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. Beyond accolades, the event serves as a forum for critical reflection and dialogue under the theme: “Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Transformation: Insights on Challenges and Emerging Opportunities.”
Notable honourees for the 2025 edition include: Prof. Obadare Peter Adewale, CVO, Digital Encode, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs & Poverty Reduction, Ayọ̀wándé Àdalémọ, Founder & CEO, Wave5Wireless, Mr. Ayowande Adalemo, Founder, Wave5Wireless Ltd, Engr. Shuaibu Kabir Bello, CEO, KMDC, Dr Krishnan Ranganath, Regional Executive – West Africa & Morocco- at Africa Data Centres (ADC), Hon. Suleiman Isah, Commissioner for Communications Technology & Digital Economy, Daser David, President/CEO, Digital Bridge Institute, Engr. Olawole Owoeye, Co-founder, Cedarview Communications, Engr. Ike Nnamani, CEO, Digital Realty.