Kofo Akinkugbe
Kofo Akinkugbe is a Nigerian technology entrepreneur. She is founder and CEO of SecureID, "Africa's leading manufacturer of smart cards and other identity documents".[1]
Education and early career[edit]
Kofo Akinkugbe studied mathematics at the University of Lagos. After serving in the Nigerian Youth Service Corps, she worked in the banking industry for twelve years, starting with International Merchant Bank, a Nigerian affiliate of the First National Bank of Chicago, and later working for Chartered Bank.[2] She then took up a Chevening Scholarship to study for an MBA at Strathclyde Business School.[3]
Companies[edit]
Kofo Akinkugbe founded Interface Technologies Limited, a security management and biometrics company, in 1998, SecureID Limited in 2005 and SecureCard Manufacturing in 2012.[3] Her group of companies owns Nigeria's first SIM card production plant, in operation since December 2016.[2] Certified by Visa, Verve and Mastercard, the company exports SIM cards to 21 other African countries.[4]
Recognition[edit]
In 2012, Kofo Akinkugbe won the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship Mature Business Award.[5] In May 2017 acting president Yemi Osinbajo appointed her to the board of the Nigerian Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council.[6][7]
References[edit]
- ^ London Stock Exchange Group, Companies to Inspire Africa 2019 Archived 2022-01-20 at the Wayback Machine, p.56. Accessed 20 May 2020.
- ^ a b Etsey Atisu, African countries will no longer spend billions to import SIM, ATM cards, thanks to this Nigerian innovator, Face 2 Face Africa, 7 June 2019. Accessed 16 May 2020.
- ^ a b Mme Kofo Akinkugbe, fondateur et CEO de SecureID, leader de la carte à puce en Afrique sub-saharienne, Afrique Presse, 9 June 2019. Accessed 16 May 2020.
- ^ Joseph Omotayo, Kofo Akinkugbe: Nigerian woman who owns West Africa's first smart card plant, exports to 21 countries, legit.ng, 30 August 2019. Accessed 16 May 2020.
- ^ Gaelle Kamdem, Nigeria : Kofo Akinkugbe, propriétaire de la première entreprise de fabrication de carte SIM en Afrique de l’Ouest, AfrikMag, 1 September 2019. Accessed 16 May 2020.
- ^ Osinbajo gives Dangote, Peterside, 34 others new appointments — FULL LIST, Premium Times, 30 May 2017. Accessed 16 May 2020.
- ^ Osinbajo Inaugurates Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council, This Day, 31 May 2017. Accessed 16 May 2020.