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
editKofo Akinkugbe studied mathematics at the University of Lagos,[2] and following it, got her MBA degree from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland.[3] 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.[4] She then took up a Chevening Scholarship to study for an MBA at Strathclyde Business School.[5]
Companies
editKofo Akinkugbe founded Interface Technologies Limited, a security management and biometrics company, in 1998, SecureID Limited in 2005 and SecureCard Manufacturing in 2012.[5] Her group of companies owns Nigeria's first SIM card production plant, in operation since December 2016.[4] Certified by Visa, Verve and Mastercard, the company exports SIM cards to 21 other African countries.[6]
Recognition
editIn 2012, Kofo Akinkugbe won the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship Mature Business Award.[7] In May 2017 acting president Yemi Osinbajo appointed her to the board of the Nigerian Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council.[8][9]
In 2022, Akinkugbe was conferred with National award of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by President Muhammadu Buhari.[10]
References
edit- ^ London Stock Exchange Group, Companies to Inspire Africa 2019 Archived 2022-01-20 at the Wayback Machine, p.56.
- ^ "Women In Business: Kofo Akinkugbe". Business Day. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Kiunguyu, Kylie (19 June 2019). "Kofo Akinkugbe, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa's First Certified Smart Card Manufacturing Plant". Retrieved 2 September 2024 – via allAfrica.
- ^ a b Atisu, Etsey (7 June 2019). "African countries will no longer spend billions to import SIM, ATM cards, thanks to this Nigerian innovator". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 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 (in French). 9 June 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Omotayo, Joseph (30 August 2019). "Kofo Akinkugbe: Nigerian woman who owns West Africa's first smart card plant, exports to 21 countries". Legit.ng. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Kamdem, Gaelle (1 September 2019). "Nigeria : Kofo Akinkugbe, propriétaire de la première entreprise de fabrication de carte SIM en Afrique de l'Ouest". AfrikMag.
- ^ "Osinbajo gives Dangote, Peterside, 34 others new appointments — Full List". Premium Times. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Ogunmade, Omololu; Ajimotokan, Olawale (31 May 2017). "Osinbajo Inaugurates Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council". This Day. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Oluwole, Victor (13 October 2022). "Top Nigerian business leaders conferred with national awards by President Muhammadu Buhari". Business Insider Africa. Retrieved 2 September 2024.