Below is the list of the Top 50 Winners for the 2024 CDEC
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Bukola Adeboye
A chartered accountant with about 15 years of experience, Bukola Adeboye is the Group Head, Corporate Services.
With an extensive sojourn in finance management, audit and business consultancy, Bukola cut her teeth at a Lagos-based auditing and consultancy firm where she had a 3-year stint.
She joined SystemSpecs in 2010 and has risen through the ranks by efficiently managing the finance component of diverse projects and partnerships from initiation to consummation.
Her professional interests include financial planning, reporting and analysis, management of tax and other statutory obligations, and the coordination of all finance needs as an essential support to businesses.
Bukola is a proud graduate of the University of Ilorin, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an alumnus of the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI).
In addition to being the founder and Group Managing Director of SystemSpecs Limited, Mr John Obaro is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria; a fellow of the Center for African Policy Development and Research, Glasgow, Scotland; a fellow of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS); an ex-member of the Governing Council of Computers Professionals (Registration Council) of Nigeria (CPN) – the highest industry practice regulatory body; and a fellow and past 1st Vice President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON). John Obaro was recognised with the honour of Leadership in Technology at the 2016 African Achievement Awards in Scotland and also recognised as the ICT Software Personality of the Year 2016 at the Beacon of ICT (BoICT) Award, in addition to other numerous indigenous and international awards he has received over the years. Having enjoyed a successful career with International Merchant Bank (IMB), John Obaro founded SystemSpecs some 30 years ago as a West African Partner to Systems Union, UK, offering the SunSystems suite of solutions. The company soon started developing its own proprietary payroll and human resource management solution, HumanManager, which has become the preferred choice for many leading public and private sector organisations in Nigeria and West Africa. In the last decade, SystemSpecs has become a leader in the Nigerian e-payment space with its Remita solution, which enables efficient and easy payment and collection of funds for individuals and corporate organisations (both public and private) on a SINGLE inter-bank platform. Remita, as a payment gateway, pioneered the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) project for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and processes about $6 Billion worth of transactions on a monthly basis. As part of its plans to impact and contribute to the growth of the financial services industry, SystemSpecs has had several notable partnerships with banks for services including payroll white-labelling, data referencing and payday loan. John Obaro is a distinguished alumnus of both Ahmadu Bello University, University of Lagos, and the Chief Executive Program (CEP3) of Lagos Business School. He has served at various times on the Boards of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Information and Communication Technology, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Governing Council of the National ICT Incubation Program (iDea), and many more. He is passionate about the promotion of Nigeria’s indigenous software industry as a capable and comparable rival to anywhere in the world. John Obaro is known in many circles as ‘The Consummate Innovator’. He is a trailblazer on many fronts, and indeed his footprint is evident across many sectors of the Nigerian economy.
John Obaro
Group Managing Director
Mujib is a thoroughbred technologist and an unrelenting pursuer of innovation. He joined SystemSpecs in 2011 and currently the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Remita, an electronic payment platform.
He is an IT professional with experience in software and systems design, development and implementation, project management, as well as Information and Infrastructure support. In his over a decade of software engineering, his contributions have made landmark impacts on Nigeria’s financial technology industry, specifically how payments are made and received.
His work at SystemSpecs has led to major advancements in our products, especially in the development and incremental advancement of Remita, our flagship product, for the payroll, payments and human capital management needs of individuals and organisations across various sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Mujib has had working experiences with various organisations in the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Among many others, he was the lead developer at Javelin Group, United Kingdom’s leading specialist consultancy firm whose clients include many of UK’s top 20 retailers like Wal-Mart, Tesco and Sony.
He holds qualifications from North East Surrey College of Technology and Middlesex University, United Kingdom. Mujib also has various professional certifications.
In addition to being the founder and Group Managing Director of SystemSpecs Limited, Mr John Obaro is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria; a fellow of the Center for African Policy Development and Research, Glasgow, Scotland; a fellow of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS); an ex-member of the Governing Council of Computers Professionals (Registration Council) of Nigeria (CPN) – the highest industry practice regulatory body; and a fellow and past 1st Vice President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON). John Obaro was recognised with the honour of Leadership in Technology at the 2016 African Achievement Awards in Scotland and also recognised as the ICT Software Personality of the Year 2016 at the Beacon of ICT (BoICT) Award, in addition to other numerous indigenous and international awards he has received over the years. Having enjoyed a successful career with International Merchant Bank (IMB), John Obaro founded SystemSpecs some 30 years ago as a West African Partner to Systems Union, UK, offering the SunSystems suite of solutions. The company soon started developing its own proprietary payroll and human resource management solution, HumanManager, which has become the preferred choice for many leading public and private sector organisations in Nigeria and West Africa. In the last decade, SystemSpecs has become a leader in the Nigerian e-payment space with its Remita solution, which enables efficient and easy payment and collection of funds for individuals and corporate organisations (both public and private) on a SINGLE inter-bank platform. Remita, as a payment gateway, pioneered the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) project for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and processes about $6 Billion worth of transactions on a monthly basis. As part of its plans to impact and contribute to the growth of the financial services industry, SystemSpecs has had several notable partnerships with banks for services including payroll white-labelling, data referencing and payday loan. John Obaro is a distinguished alumnus of both Ahmadu Bello University, University of Lagos, and the Chief Executive Program (CEP3) of Lagos Business School. He has served at various times on the Boards of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Information and Communication Technology, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Governing Council of the National ICT Incubation Program (iDea), and many more. He is passionate about the promotion of Nigeria’s indigenous software industry as a capable and comparable rival to anywhere in the world. John Obaro is known in many circles as ‘The Consummate Innovator’. He is a trailblazer on many fronts, and indeed his footprint is evident across many sectors of the Nigerian economy.
John Obaro
Group Managing Director
Dr. Ernest Ndukwe is an electrical/electronics engineer, with over 40 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry. A former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) between 2000 and 2010, Dr Ndukwe was responsible for the level of transparency recorded at the NCC, which resulted in the liberalisation of the telecommunications industry and significant investment in the sector.
Ndukwe has served as the Chairman of the Administrative Council of the African Telecommunications Union and Chairman of the West African Telecom Regulators Association (WATRA), an organisation he pioneered. He has represented Nigeria at various international events and is a regular resource person at national and international conferences. He is a widely acclaimed expert in Telecom Policy and Regulation and sits on the board of several companies including Openmedia Ltd and Electromechanical Nigeria Ltd. His Board-level experience dates back to 1988 when he was appointed Commercial Director at General Telecom Plc, where he later became the Managing Director (MD) in 1989. It was from his position as MD of General Telecom Plc that he was appointed to lead the Nigerian Communications Commission as CEO, a position he retired from in March 2010. He also served on the Presidential Committee on Job Creation, and was the Co-Chair of the Presidential Committee on Strategy and Roadmap for Universal Broadband Access in Nigeria.
A graduate of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and an alumnus of Lagos Business School, Dr Ndukwe holds the fellowship awards of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institute of Management (FNIM) and Nigerian Academy of Engineering. He is also on the Faculty of the Lagos Business School where he heads the Centre for Infrastructure Policy, Regulation and Advancement (CIPRA). His area of teaching interest includes strategic leadership with special focus on the character traits of CEO’s that lead to business failures.
Mr. Kehinde Lawanson
Mr. Kehinde Lawanson is a strategic thinker, self-driven, innovative and energetic leader. He is a project advisor and management and investment consultant within the financial services industry and serves on various Boards within the Fintech space.
With over twenty-seven years banking experience with exposure in Investment and Commercial banking, he served as Executive Director, First Bank of Nigeria Plc; Executive Director, Gateway International Bank; Managing Director, Peak Merchant Bank and held other executive positions within the banking industry.
Mr. Lawanson is a strong professional, with excellent judgment, good values, and a motivator who drives staff performance through a supportive management practice.
Demola IgbalajobiDemola is an accountant and information technology professional with business analysis, change management and programme management experience.
Prior to joining SystemSpecs, he worked as a Tax Inspector with the UK Government. He then had a long spell with IBM UK, managing software implementation and application development projects; implementing project best practices; setting up and coordinating programme management offices; and consulting on ERP implementation across automotive, telecoms, finance, hospitality, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and retail industries.
Since joining SystemSpecs, Africa’s leading financial and human capital technology management firm, he has had responsibility for overseeing the organisation’s International Business, Infrastructure and Payment Gateway, and the Public Sector Divisions at different times.
Demola was the Project Delivery Executive for the implementation and deployment of Remita Payment Gateway for the highly successful Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) programme.
Demola is currently the Managing Director of SystemSpecs Technology Services Limited, with lead responsibility for defining the organisation’s human capital management and other affiliated vertical offerings.
He is an alumnus of Manchester Metropolitan University, England and George Washington University, United States.
Mrs. Ifeoma Idigbe
Mrs. Ifeoma Idigbe is a business analyst/consultant (Finance and Human Resource Management) Her professional career started in banking at International Merchant Bank Limited (IMB), becoming General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of its affiliate, IMB Securities Limited. Her career has spanned banking and finance, business restructuring, advisory services and capacity building, working with local and international organisations such as KPMG, MTN, Accenture, Bank of Industry etc.
She also worked for in the Nigerian public sector as an Executive Director (Finance & Administration) & Acting Managing Director, in a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (Benin – Owena River Basin Development Authority which covers four States in Nigeria). She is currently an Independent and Financial/Business Consultant and also deeply involved in social entrepreneurship.
‘Deremi Atanda
‘Deremi is the Managing Director of Remita Payment Services Limited. He enjoys working with self-confident and intelligent young people to become rounded business professionals able to assume multi-dimensional responsibilities.
‘DeRemi is a leading IT business and marketing strategist with extensive experience leading major national IT and e-payment initiatives. Leading a team of local and foreign organisations and consultants, he was the pioneer project delivery director of the very successful World Bank-assisted Federal Government Integrated Payroll & Personnel Information System (IPPIS) that started in November 2006 and went live in a record 6 months. Although he has become a well-respected name in the IT industry, ‘DeRemi did not study IT in the university. A graduate of Physics; by sheer inquisitiveness, probing and persistence, Deremi has cut a niche for himself not only in SystemSpecs but also in the Nigerian IT terrain. Very much at home and current on IT trends and issues, he is a strategic player in the SystemSpecs team. He led the vibrant team that successfully delivered one of the earliest and very challenging end-to-end e-payment initiatives of the Federal Government within 2 months, following the presidential directive of January 2009. This has gone on to become a model for other Federal and State MDAs. ‘DeRemi has operated in different roles and at different levels cutting across print production, sales and marketing, large scale enterprise solution delivery, project management, public sector relationship management, quality assurance and strategy in his professional career spanning more than two decades.
With a first degree from the University of Ibadan and an MBA from the Pan-Atlantic University (formerly Pan-African University), ‘DeRemi is also a year 2000 alumnus of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) of the Lagos Business School and a participant in Stanford University’s SEED Programme. Happily married with children, He is a member of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), loves travelling, and is an avid technology enthusiast.
Dr. Waheed Olagunju
Dr. Waheed A. Olagunju acted twice as MD/CEO of the Bank of Industry (BOI) between April and May 2014 as well as between February 2016 and May 2017. He retired from the Bank in 2019 after a distinguished career that spanned almost 29 years. He was actively involved with the reconstruction of NIDB into BOI (2000-2001) and the consolidation of the mandates of NIDB, the Nigerian Bank for Commerce and Industry (NBCI) and the National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND) into that of the Bank of Industry.
Under his tenure as Executive Director, Small and Medium Enterprises (ED, SME), the Bank recorded the most impressive performance in its history in 2016 by posting double-digit growth in almost all aspects of its operations, with about N66 billion disbursed to hundreds of small, medium and large-scale businesses.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Remi Ohiorenoya is the Managing Director at SystemSpecs Deelaa Limited, a highly accomplished professional with a stellar reputation in the business world, bringing over 15 years of expertise in software development, project management, and strategic leadership. His profound understanding of the African gaming industry has established him as a leading figure in Nigeria’s online and retail gaming sector.
With a solid foundation in business strategy and administration, Remi possesses a comprehensive knowledge of various business segments, including sports betting, lottery, oil and gas, technology, and agency banking. His global perspective and insights into industry dynamics extend beyond the African market, making him a valuable asset in navigating the complexities of today’s business landscape.
Remi’s impressive career journey includes notable positions such as his leadership role at babaijebu.com within Premier Lotto Limited, his tenure as Managing Director of Western Bet, Executive Director of Merrybet/Epay Systems Limited, Head of Retail at Bet9ja, and Chief Executive Officer of both Betland and Briskman Limited. In addition, he has provided his expertise as a consultant to numerous gaming companies and government initiatives, where his strategic guidance and technology solutions have proven invaluable.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Remi is deeply committed to inspiring excellence in others. His dedication to mentorship and leadership is evident in his passion for bringing out the best in people. In his leisure time, Remi finds solace and intellectual stimulation through his love for chess.
Demola is the Executive Director in charge of the Public Sector and Special Projects Division. He leads responsibility for the development, adoption and support of SystemSpecs’ entire solutions and services suite by governments at all levels, including the widely celebrated Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the Federal Government and states in Nigeria, as well as similar initiatives across Africa.
He previously had responsibility for the International Business Division as well as the Business Development and Service Delivery of the Remita platform in Nigeria. He was also the Project Executive responsible for the delivery of the Remita platform. A chartered accountant and seasoned project manager, Ademola has well over 25 years’ multi-industry experience working with blue-chip firms to implement strategic, business-focused solutions that support various strategic goals and maximise return on investments. Before joining SystemSpecs, Ademola had a long spell with IBM UK, managing software implementation and application development projects, setting up and handling programme management offices and consulting on ERP implementation. His experience also covers business analytics, change management as well as programme management in the automotive, telecommunications, finance, hospitality, pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries.
Ademola has experience with managing multi-skilled project teams (Business Analysts, Designers, Architects, Developers and Testers) from different sources (Third-party contractors, client organisation personnel and offshore resources) as well as offshore development.
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Udo Ngele
Udo Ngele, popularly known as ‘Udy’, is responsible for developing and implementing information security programs, which include procedures and policies designed to protect our enterprise communications, systems and assets. He previously managed the infrastructure platforms and services on which enterprise applications run by SystemSpecs’ group of companies.
Udy, who has attended numerous professional courses in reputable institutions like Microsoft South Africa and Learning Tree London, is a sound technology business and customer service professional. His expertise has come in very handy in the implementation and integration of HumanManager and Remita for various projects embarked upon by SystemSpecs across various sectors of the economy.
A topnotch system designer, Udy is an Oracle-certified professional and possesses a degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology, Minna and an MBA from the prestigious Lagos Business School of the Pan-Atlantic University.
Abayomi Oniku heads our Public Sector operations, which involves collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria and several states of the federation in delivering efficient payments and billing solutions.
His work experience spans Human Resources Management, Compensation Management, Business Process Analysis and Design, Solution Delivery and Support, Project Management, Payroll and Payment Management across various sectors of the economy. He has also worked in nine countries in Africa and Europe managing solution delivery projects. He is an adaptable and enthusiastic person who takes great pride in his work and relishes challenges. Prior to joining SystemSpecs, he worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Accenture Nigeria.
Abayomi is a graduate of Economics, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), an associate member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), and an alumnus of the Accenture Learning Centre, Chicago.
Dr. Oladapo Fafemi
Dr. Oladapo Fafemi is the Lead Breast Surgeon and Clinical Director for Surgical Specialties for the North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.
He is an Honorary Senior Lecturer Royal Free & UCL Medical School, and Honorary Associate Professor at St. Georges University Medical School. Grenada, West Indies. MBBS Examiner at both Medical Schools.
He is the Educational and Clinical supervisor for Postgraduate trainees in General and Breast Surgery. Serves as a Partner in International Integrated Breast Services, a team of multidisciplinary experts in the treatment of Breast Cancer from Diagnosis to Survivorship, especially in Nigeria.
Eniye AlileWith about two decades of experience in human resources and capacity development, Eniye is an HR professional passionate about strategically optimising human resources to achieve the objectives of organisations of all sizes and structures across numerous industries.
An expert at ensuring a fully engaged workforce, Eniye Alile has championed several complex projects to impressive success, by leveraging her strong analytical and management skills notably in consulting, information technology and services sectors of the economy.
She has demonstrated competence in a wide array of areas including coaching, compensation and rewards, employee engagement, HR policies, strategic planning and training, a lot of which she has maximised—time and again—to deliver growth to various businesses.
Eniye holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and Regional Planning from the University of Benin. She is a member of the WorldatWork Society of Certified Professionals, an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM). She is also a Global Professional of Human Resources (GPHR) and a Global Remuneration Professional (GRP).
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Dr. Oni is an Information Systems professional with experience in analysing the impact of the digital world on business operations at every level. She joined the faculty of the School of Management and Social Sciences in 2014 and became Dean in October 2020.
She holds a doctorate in Information Systems from Brunel University. Her thesis focused on effective diffusion of innovation technologies among individuals and Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) and she has subsequently produced outputs outlining best policy and practice for governments, SMEs and technology service providers.
She is interested in and is currently investigating smart homes and sustainability, social media use by organisations, digital ecosystems and knowledge sharing. She is a member of The Digital Economy ‘Communities and Culture’ Network+ which explores digital transformations.
Gbenga Oludaisi is responsible for risk management across our enterprise infrastructure and plays an active role in systems/operations audit and the certification processes the company has to undergo to validate the standardization of our operations.
Gbenga joined SystemSpecs as an Internal Auditor in 2009 but today he heads our Enterprise Risk Management Team. His professional work experiences span over two decades in the manufacturing sector, financial service industry, and public practice. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), and Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA).
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University). Prior to this, Gbenga obtained a National Diploma in Accountancy from the Ogun State Polytechnic where he was decorated with the Best Student Award. He has also attended several professional improvement training programmes in and outside Nigeria.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. Emmanuel Ocholi is an economist, stockbroker and banker of high repute with experience spanning over three decades. He also is a well-travelled entrepreneur who has attended several local and international courses and seminars some of which he was engaged as presenter of discussion papers.
A fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Stockbrokers, Mr. Ocholi is on the board of several companies whose interests span manufacturing, insurance, ICT and telecommunications. A member of the Investment and Securities Tribunal (a specialist court that adjudicates on matters relating to the Nigerian Capital market), Mr. Ocholi was until 2010 a council member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He also served on the board of the Bank of Industry and the National Technical Working Group on Vision 20:20.
After graduating with a second-class upper in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Mr. Ocholi had an impressive banking career in NAL Merchant Bank between 1976 and 1986 from where he moved to become the Executive Vice Chairman of Rims Merchant Bank between 1988 and 1994.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mrs. Iyabo Adeleke-Adedeji
Mrs. Iyabo Adeleke-Adedeji retired from the Central Bank of Nigeria a Director, Information Technology Department. She has gathered consummate and extensive experience in Business Strategy, Microfinance Banking, Business Analysis, Change Management and Business Intelligence.
Mrs. Adeleke-Adedeji has exceptional knowledge of Central Banking processes and played a major role in the success of Project EAGLES that transformed CBN into a world class Central Bank.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Oluwasegun Adesanya is a resourceful and result-oriented fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) with over 19 years cognate experience in finance, treasury, investments, controls, risk and information technology management. At different times, he has been responsible for the management of the financial systems of some of Nigeria’s foremost organisations across diverse industries, including consulting/professional practice, insurance, banking, real estate, financial technology and manufacturing concerns.
‘Segun, prior to re-joining SystemSpecs Limited as Group Head, Corporate Services, served as the Chief Financial Officer of SecureID where he had responsibility for the finance processes, systems and controls, covering financial reporting, payables, receivables, clients’ management, control, treasury, and tax.
At SecureID, he was responsible for the negotiation and structuring of a 10-year concession deal under the PPP arrangement towards the deployment of the e-ticketing solution for the Nigerian Railway Corporation; he also drove the implementation of the solution thereby creating a new stream of revenue for SecureID.
With a Finance degree from the prestigious University of Lagos, he started his career at KPMG Professional Services where he audited entities within Nigeria’s financial services industry about a decade.
As the Chief Financial Officer at Ensure Insurance PLC (formerly Union Assurance Company PLC), he provided overall guidance, leadership support and strategic direction in the execution of the activities of the finance function. A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ‘Segun hitherto served as Vice President, Finance at Asset & Resource Management Company Limited and Chief Financial Officer at Afriland Properties Plc.
‘Segun played a key role in the restructuring of the finance team of a leading Nigerian construction firm and was also involved in building a 4-year financial model for a government established N25 billion fund.
He is passionate about building efficient financial systems and long-lasting institutions.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paul Ibidun heads the division responsible for the overall delivery of corporate services and administration for SystemSpecs’ operations.
A pioneer staff of SystemSpecs, Paul commenced his career in the company as a Marketing/Sales Manager though with omnibus responsibilities sprawling over other multiple roles. He is a Certified Project Management Professional and has had a stint in pragmatic project management practice while he coordinated the deployment and support services to clients using our HumanManager Application. A consummate Business Administrator, Paul currently coordinates our Corporate Services functions spanning the general administration, HR, Training, Finance and a number of other strategic business units of SystemSpecs. An alumnus of the Lagos Business School (AMP 10), Paul has attended numerous training programmes locally and overseas with a pointed emphasis on Human Resources Management, Project Management, Leadership and Corporate Governance among others. Paul is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (MCIPM).
Paul is a 1983 graduate of Political Science from the University of Ibadan. He obtained a Master’s degree in Industrial and Labour Relations from the same University in 1989 before earning an MBA from the Obafemi Awolowo University in 1999. Paul started a professional career in Human Resources Management at Kwara Breweries Limited shortly after the completion of his National Youth Service programme at NTA Ibadan where he garnered the basic rudiments of Personnel Management and Office Administration. He subsequently moved on to an international NGO, the Canadian Universities Service Organization (CUSO), in Ibadan as a Programme Officer.
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT