First CISO, Nigeria Revenue Service · CISSP · Forbes Technology Council
Adeoluwa Akomolafe is a cybersecurity and technology executive focused on leadership, AI-enabled fraud and digital resilience in Africa's emerging economies. As the first Chief Information Security Officer of the Nigeria Revenue Service, he protects the systems that collect the nation's revenue. He brings two decades of experience across UK and Nigerian financial services and the public sector, including building the security function behind Nigeria's first fully digital bank.
About
Adeoluwa Akomolafe builds the institutions that protect systems. Over more than two decades he has worked where technology, risk and institutional change meet, first in UK financial services, then in Nigerian banking and now in government.
He is the first Chief Information Security Officer of the Nigeria Revenue Service, where he is building the security function that protects the nation's revenue and the taxpayer data behind it.
Before that, as Wema Bank's first Chief Information Security Officer, he built the security foundation behind ALAT, Nigeria's first fully digital bank. He then became the first CISO in Nigerian banking to move into the Chief Information Officer role.
Before returning to Nigeria he held security and risk roles at Brown Shipley, Barclays, Yorkshire Building Society and the British Council. He holds the CISSP certification, is a member of the Forbes Technology Council, and writes on cybersecurity leadership, AI-enabled fraud and digital resilience in Africa.
Areas of focus
Current focus
Deepfake voice approvals, synthetic identities and AI-written phishing are already hitting African banking, fintech and government revenue systems. Adeoluwa writes about how these attacks work, why traditional controls miss them, and what institutions should change.
Lessons from building the security foundation for ALAT, Nigeria's first fully digital bank, and from protecting the systems that collect the nation's revenue.
How security leaders earn board trust, speak in business terms and move into wider executive roles, drawn from his own move from CISO to CIO.
Adeoluwa has built security functions from day one twice: at Wema Bank and at the Nigeria Revenue Service. The first 100 days, the first hires, and the metrics that convince a board.
Why cyber resilience is now a national economic issue, and what governments, banks and critical infrastructure operators must do together.
Mentoring
Mentoring is central to how Adeoluwa works. He guides security professionals through career moves and into their first leadership roles, and celebrates their milestones with them.
He is always glad to hear from security professionals, universities and early-career communities looking for guidance.
Background
Contact
For professional enquiries, collaboration or mentoring, reach Adeoluwa by email or on LinkedIn.