Afrobeat sensation and Nigerian music star, Rema, will this week share his inspiring story on CNN International’s African Voices Changemakers, sponsored by Globacom.

Born Divine Ikubor, the 24-year-old Edo-born singer-songwriter, discovered his passion for music in church and school. His big break came after posting a viral freestyle on Instagram, catching D’Prince’s attention. This led to a record deal with Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Mavin Records, owned by Don Jazzy.

Rema’s global ascension gained momentum in 2022 with the release of his hit single “Calm Down”. The song’s massive success led to a collaboration with American pop sensation Selena Gomez, propelling it to greater heights.  Notably ‘Calm Down” reached number three on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 chart, number one on Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart, where it held the top spot for a record- breaking 58 weeks.

His star status was crowned on November 7, 2022, when he received an award for achieving 1 billion streams worldwide during his London concert, in addition to performing at the Ballon d’Or ceremony held at the Theatre du Châtelet in Paris, France on October 30, 2023.

The interesting episode of African Voices awaits viewers on CNN on Saturday at 8.30 a.m., with repeats at noon the same day.  More repeats come up on Sunday at 4.30 a.m., 7.00 p.m. and on Monday at 4.00 a.m.

Celebrating excellence in leadership: Mojisola Ologe, a recognized risk management professional, has won The Peak Performer FEST 2024 Admirable Woman in Leadership Award.

Mojisola Ologe (middle) receiving the The Peak Performer FEST 2024 Admirable Woman in Leadership Award.

The event, held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, brought together women leaders from various industries as part of TPP FEST 2024. With the theme, “Enhancing Women Leadership with the Magic of Emotional Intelligence,” it highlighted essential behavioral insights and strategies for women to excel in their careers and business ventures, while also recognizing outstanding women in society and promoting leadership skills, global connections, and well-being.

With over 20 years of experience in technology, risk management, and cybersecurity, Mojisola Ologe has been at the forefront of safeguarding critical infrastructure within the financial and technology sectors.

Her comprehensive expertise in audit, regulatory compliance, and innovative risk management strategies has strengthened organizational resilience and driven operational excellence, establishing her as a trusted authority in the field.

Mojisola has successfully led transformative cybersecurity initiatives that align with global standards such as ISO 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and PCI DSS. Her strategic oversight has driven the implementation of advanced security controls, threat assessment protocols, and incident response frameworks, significantly enhancing organizational resilience against emerging cyber threats.

Beyond her professional expertise, Mrs. Ologe is a passionate advocate for empowering and mentoring women in cybersecurity, a field traditionally dominated by men. Her efforts have contributed to shaping a more inclusive technology landscape in Nigeria.

As a dynamic leader, Mojisola is recognized for her ability to foster collaboration and drive cross-functional teams towards shared objectives. A trailblazer in the field, she continuously pushes the boundaries of innovation and security in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Presenting the Admirable Women in Leadership Award to Mojisola, Dr. Abiola Salami, publisher, The Peak Performer, said, “This is in acknowledgement of your excellent leadership by those you have led in the year under review 2023/2024.

“We hope this will inspire you to deliver a higher level of excellence in future”.

In her response, Mojisola said it was a very auspicious moment for her “as we all have gathered to celebrate myself and others who have excelled in different fields.

“It’s a great honour for me to be given accolades and award; I am truly obliged for this great honour and recognition given by The Peak Performer team”.

She said she is more energised and charged up to take up new and challenging projects which would work in the benefit of her organisation and the environment.

Other prominent award recipients included Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, Chairman, Publisher, and CEO of Guardian Newspapers; Dr. Mosun Belo-Olusoga, a leading figure in Nigeria’s financial services sector; Bodam Taiwo, Head of Portfolio, Bond and Connect at Pernod Ricard; Chichi Emenike, Head of Gas Ventures at Neconde Energy Limited; Rachel Adeshina, Country Head of Technology and Services at FBN Bank Ghana; and Mabel Adeteye, Head of Brands and Communication at Wema Bank. Each of these women was recognized for their exceptional achievements and impact within their respective fields.

By Barr. Mela Claude Ake

In my opinion, the SIBAN kerfuffle is as political as it is legal. We cannot divorce the two — but the legal aspect is far weightier.

Barr. Mela Claude Ake

On the political side is a power-grab. A small group of individuals who think they should be the lords and masters of Nigeria’s crypto space are fighting for control. They want control of SIBAN and they want control of the SIBAN presidency. Essentially a shadow administration that runs the show from behind the scenes. For this to happen, the president has to be a puppet. What they fail to understand is that being a pioneer of a vision doesn’t necessarily mean that you must control it in perpetuity. Succession-planning is a vital part of corporate governance. Across the world, several major organizations abound, whether they be companies, political parties, associations and even nations where the founders of these visions are alive but do not call the shots anymore and quite frankly, that’s okay.

Coming to the issue of registering SIBAN with the Corporate Affairs Commission, the detractors are doing themselves a huge disservice. It’s both ridiculous and risky that an unincorporated body was carrying on and presenting itself as it did. I mean think about it; how do you hold high-level meetings and organise national industry conversations involving the SEC, NITDA etcetera as an unregistered body? Legally speaking, the implications are better imagined.

How does a group present itself as the foremost industry association for the blockchain sector in Nigeria and by extension Africa but is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission? Whose bank account were the dues being paid to? How do you woo foreign investors? How? Do you show them your WhatsApp group? Because that’s essentially what SIBAN was reduced to. A mere Whatsapp group. Can you imagine the Nigeria Bar Association not being registered with the CAC? The excuse about organizations with words such as “Blockchain” or “Crypto” not being accepted for registration by the CAC is weak because there are records of such organizations having been allowed to be registered by the CAC even as far back as 2018. The records are out there.

Now that the detractors are wailing, kicking and screaming can they prove by law that SIBAN has not been properly incorporated by this board of trustees? Can they prove that this incorporation exercise did not satisfy the extant corporate laws and regulations of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? If they have a good case, they should go to court and remember to sue the Corporate Affairs Commission as well. However if they know they cannot prove it, then they should be quiet because what they are doing is simply inviting more trouble than necessary with all this brouhaha. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

It should be on record that I was invited by the president to join this board and when he extended the invitation, I was shocked, to say the least, to find out that SIBAN was yet unincorporated. I was invited because he believes I will bring some value to the association and I will.

As a lawyer and a compliance and consumer rights advocate I am personally concerned about the several sharp practices that have been happening in the blockchain sector, that have caused unwitting investors to lose millions and in turn making the entire sector appear less trustworthy. My mission as a member of the SIBAN Board of Trustees is to help us tighten the loose ends and remove the permissive environment that has hitherto allowed sleazy fellows and shady schemes to thrive unchecked. Personally, I believe that if any crypto practitioner wilfully puts investor funds or public funds at risk, the practitioner shouldn’t only be banned for life, they should be locked up.

SIBAN has what it takes to accelerate prosperity through blockchain and I think Obinna Iwuno and this BOT as currently constituted have the requisite skills, passion and grit to make that happen.

– Barr. Mela Claude Ake. Member, SIBAN Board Of Trustees