Nigerian-born technology professional Obiageli Okafor, popularly known as Obii, has been honoured with the Women in Telecoms Champion award at the Comms Council UK Awards 2026, becoming the first African to receive the prestigious recognition since the category was introduced.
Okafor, a Senior Product Manager at global cloud communications company 8×8 and co-founder of the nonprofit organisation PMHelp, received the award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the UK telecommunications industry and her efforts to expand access to technology careers for professionals across Africa and other regions.
Speaking after receiving the award, Okafor expressed gratitude for the recognition, describing it as an emotional milestone in her career.
> “I was genuinely shocked. My first thought was gratitude—for everyone who believed in me, from my family and colleagues at 8×8 to the PMHelp community, and for the younger version of myself in Nigeria who never imagined standing on a stage in London to receive this honour,” she said.
She noted that becoming the first African recipient sends a powerful message that talent has no borders.
> “This recognition shows that there are no barriers to achieving our dreams. African women belong wherever technology is being built and important decisions are being made,” she added.
Before relocating to the United Kingdom, Okafor worked as a product manager in Nigeria and Dubai. She revealed that she initially faced several job rejections in the UK and had to work three different jobs while rebuilding her career.
Her experience inspired her to establish PMHelp, a mentorship platform that has supported more than 52,000 professionals across over 70 countries through career guidance and training.
She also co-founded Capstone, an artificial intelligence-powered platform that enables product managers to gain practical experience through workplace simulations.
In addition to the award, Okafor recently launched her first book, "Impossible to Ignore," which focuses on helping professionals build career visibility. She said the strategies outlined in the book helped increase her LinkedIn audience significantly, leading to new career opportunities, speaking engagements, and industry recognition.
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