Oyinomomo-emi Emmanuel Akpe Wins the Dratech Supply Chain Innovation Excellence Award 2024

By Mfon Imeh

A recognition of structured innovation, operational leadership, and measurable impact across the supply chain
The Dratech International Conference has concluded, and the results of the 2024 Dratech Innovation Awards have just been released.

Among the top three winners selected from a pool of ten nominees in the Supply Chain Innovation Excellence category is Mr Oyinomomo-emi Emmanuel Akpe, recognised for his clear contributions to production efficiency, logistics improvement, and integrated supply chain systems. His selection follows a rigorous evaluation of professionals whose work demonstrates practical innovation and long term value for organisations across West Africa.

Mr Akpe’s career reflects a steady progression built on practical leadership, structured thinking, and a strong commitment to helping organisations work more efficiently. His background in business and technology management, supported by ongoing doctoral research in project management, shaped a balanced perspective that sits at the intersection of technical systems and operational realities.

He grew into a capable Technical Program Manager with a reputation for turning complex operational problems into structured solutions. Before his current role, he gained experience in procurement planning, quality assurance, logistics coordination, and regional product launches. These early responsibilities formed the foundation of his understanding of production workflows, supply chain behaviour, and the coordination required to keep business operations moving without disruption.

His approach has consistently focused on creating order, strengthening information flow, and guiding organisations toward processes that support better decision making. By understanding how people, systems, and operations interact, he developed solutions that delivered measurable improvements in capacity, cost management, and supply chain responsiveness.

Much of Mr Akpe’s impact is reflected in his work at Beego Waters, where he introduced systems and methodologies that directly improved production, logistics, and inventory operations.
One of his notable contributions was the deployment of real time monitoring tools for production environments. These tools helped the company understand how production lines performed throughout the day, which allowed teams to reduce equipment downtime and improve output. The improved visibility strengthened forecasting and supported more accurate scheduling.

He then led the implementation of an integrated enterprise system that connected procurement, production, maintenance, and distribution. This reduced fragmentation and gave teams a unified view of key operational activities. With improved data flow and reduced process gaps, the organisation recorded shorter order fulfilment cycles and more reliable coordination between departments.

His work extended into logistics improvement, where he developed a delivery optimisation setup designed to improve fuel use and increase on time delivery rates. The system enhanced route planning, stabilised fleet performance, and strengthened customer reliability.
In the warehouse and inventory environment, he redesigned essential processes to improve accuracy and reduce shortages. This resulted in better restocking, clearer documentation for insurers, and fewer disruptions caused by incomplete stock records.

Beyond these areas, his contributions included:
Predictive maintenance systems that enabled early detection of equipment faults
Digitised quality checks and compliance processes that strengthened audit readiness
A unified analytics framework that presented clear operational data for senior leadership
Each initiative reflected a practical, data informed understanding of supply chain management.

Together, they strengthened sustainability planning, reduced operational risks, and elevated the organisation’s ability to manage its production and logistics activities with clarity.
Earlier in his career, he managed projects that expanded plant capacity, improved responsiveness along the supply chain, reduced transportation costs, and introduced recyclable packaging targets aligned with sustainability expectations. His consistency across these diverse areas positioned him as a dependable contributor to operational improvements.

Parallel to his industry work, Mr Akpe built a strong academic profile. His research focuses on cloud security, enterprise IT management, data governance, small business resilience, logistics optimisation, and intelligence tools used in business operations. His articles appear in respected journals across engineering, technology, management, and social science, reflecting a commitment to evidence based knowledge and professional development.

He has also served on editorial boards, contributing to the review and improvement of scholarly work. His service has earned him recognition for editorial contributions, digital transformation leadership, and knowledge development.

He holds fellowships in leadership, management consulting, information strategy, and human capital development institutes. These positions affirm his professional credibility and service to broader communities beyond his core industry duties.

The Dratech Supply Chain Innovation Excellence Award recognises professionals driving meaningful improvements in logistics, production systems, and operational planning. The award is not based on visibility or abstract innovation, but on measurable outcomes that support supply chain reliability.

The sector continues to evolve rapidly across West Africa. Organisations now require integrated systems, reliable analytics, and operational structures that are resilient and adaptive. The award highlights individuals whose work shows that improvements to supply chain systems must be grounded in real challenges facing production and logistics teams.
Mr Akpe’s contributions reflect this reality. His projects demonstrate a clear understanding of the relationship between data, process design, and execution. They also show the value of connecting functions that often operate separately within organisations.

The judging panel placed strong emphasis on solutions that strengthen visibility, reduce operational risks, and improve daily decision-making. Mr Akpe emerged among the top three winners for the following core reason:
He delivered structured, data-driven improvements across the supply chain, with a standout achievement being the integration of procurement, production, maintenance, and distribution into a unified enterprise system at Beego Waters.

This project improved clarity, reduced delays, and strengthened operational coordination. The judges considered it a strong example of practical innovation that produced measurable outcomes.
His supporting work in real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, delivery optimisation, inventory process redesign, and analytics further demonstrated consistency and depth. These achievements aligned directly with the award’s criteria for relevance, impact, clarity of execution, and long-term operational value.

West Africa’s supply chain landscape faces growing pressure from expanding markets, rising customer expectations, and increased competition. The need for operational discipline, clearer data structures, and advanced technology use has become central to how organisations plan and execute their activities.
Professionals like Mr Akpe demonstrate that structured innovation is not limited to large-scale capital projects. It also involves well-designed processes, improved visibility systems, and a disciplined approach to operational problem solving. This shift will continue to influence how companies build resilience and maintain competitiveness across the region.

His recognition signals the importance of leaders who understand both the technical and practical sides of supply chain operations. It also points to a growing acceptance of data-driven thinking within the African industry.

With the 2024 awards concluded, Dratech invites innovators, founders, supply chain professionals, and research contributors to begin preparing for the 2025 edition of the Dratech Innovation Awards.

Submissions that demonstrate clarity, operational relevance, measurable results, and sustained impact will be prioritised.
The achievements of this year’s winners, including Mr Akpe, set a clear benchmark for the type of practical and well-structured innovation the panel aims to recognise.

Interested participants are encouraged to refine their solutions, document their results, and engage early with the award process.
Mr Oyinomomo-emi Emmanuel Akpe’s emergence as one of the winners of the Dratech Supply Chain Innovation Excellence Award 2024 reflects a career built on clarity of thought, structured execution, and consistent operational improvement.

His work across production, logistics, inventory, maintenance, and analytics demonstrates how practical innovation can reshape an organisation’s capacity to operate efficiently.

As the region looks toward the next edition of the Dratech Innovation Awards in 2025, his recognition serves as both a milestone and a signal of the growing importance of disciplined, data informed approaches to supply chain management in West Africa.