By Ogochukwu Isioma
THE Management of Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited, publishers of Realnews Magazine Online, has announced that three top fintech and security experts will feature at the high-level panel discussion at the Realnews 13th Anniversary Lecture Series.
The discussants are Lasbery Chioma Oludimu (LLM, MCIArb, ACIS), vice president of Global Operations/ managing director, Nigeria Yellow Card Financial Inc.; Dr. Favour Femi-Oyewole, group chief information security officer, Access Bank Plc., and Mr. Abdul Rahman, M. Mustapha, chief operating officer, Intelligence and Security Services Support Sector, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
They will be discussing “Cybersecurity, Illicit Financial Flows and Achieving Agenda 2063 in Africa” immediately after the Lecture, which will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Isaac John, Ikeja, GRA, Lagos, on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 10 am.
Oludimu, previously, held the position of assistant general counsel and chief data protection officer and is a key member of Yellow Card’s executive team and the Group Governance and Risk Committee. As the Vice President of Global Operations, she actively manages the company’s operations in 20 African countries, overseeing pivotal initiatives that drive the business forward. As the Managing Director of Yellow Card Nigeria, she is responsible for setting and implementing company goals and business strategies, while also cultivating business relationships.
Lasbery possesses specialist skills in FinTech, blockchain, and digital assets. She understands the various legal, regulatory, and business landscapes across the continent and advises on a wide range of operational, regulatory, and legal issues, including product offerings. Oludimu obtained her first degree in Law from Madonna University and a Master of Law degree from the University of Lagos and was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in November 2009.
She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), a Capital Market Solicitor of the Nigerian Capital Market Institute, and an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. She has contributed to addressing worldwide challenges through technology, enhancing digital collaboration, and advancing tech policies internationally. She was a nominee for the Tech Diplomacy Award by the WOMEN IN TECH Global. The Financial Technology Report recognised her as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Financial Services of 2024.
On her part, Femi-Oyewole is not just a distinguished professional; she’s a visionary author and a vibrant member of the Forbes Technology Council. As the Group Chief Information Security Officer (GCISO) and Data Protection Officer (DPO) at Access Bank Plc, she champions the frontier of cybersecurity. Her previous tenure as the Group Head of Enterprise Risk Management at the Nigerian Stock Exchange saw her expertly helm the Information Security, Business Continuity, and Enterprise Risk Management departments.
A pioneer in her field, Femi-Oyewole is the first African woman to earn the title of Blockchain Certified Professional. Her expertise is further evidenced by her certifications as a Certified ISO 27001:2013 Lead Implementer Trainer. Her academic pedigree is illustrious, with credentials from the University of Liverpool, Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) – Harvard University, MIT, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Columbia Business School, London Business School, and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford: Executive Education, and Wharton Executive Education.
Femi-Oyewole has been a ground-breaking member of Nigeria’s Cybercrime Advisory Council, where she led the Standards and Evaluations Committee, setting the stage for robust cybersecurity measures across all sectors in Nigeria. Her influence extends globally as she serves on advisory councils for several multinational companies and holds the prestigious position of first Vice-Chair of the Global C|CISO Scheme Committee.
Her certification portfolio is vast, spanning across digital realms including IT, Cybersecurity, Data protection, Privacy, Governance, Risk management, and Compliance. She holds vendor-specific certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and Check Point, as well as vendor-agnostic certifications like PECB. Femi-Oyewole’s accolades include being a Cisco Certified Security Professional, Checkpoint Security Administrator, and the first female COBIT 5 Assessor in Africa. She holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Ogun State University, two M.Sc. degrees in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and in Information Security from the University of Liverpool, UK, and a PhD in Management Information Systems (Cybersecurity) from Covenant University, Nigeria, and has a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Business from MIT and Columbia Business School.
With over 25 years of experience, Favour specialises in Information Technology and Operations, Information and Cybersecurity risk, and digital excellence, particularly in high-pressure, large-scale environments. Her diverse background and expertise have made her a standout figure in resolving complex digital technology challenges and excelling as a Global CISO.
Another discussant, Rahman, is a strategic intelligence and financial policy professional with a multidisciplinary background in national security, counter-terrorism financing, and institutional capacity development. His work bridges the domains of financial intelligence, defence strategy, and inter-agency coordination, with a strong commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s compliance with international standards on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT).
Rahman has played an instrumental role in conceptualising and supporting research and policy frameworks driven by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps (NAIC), and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). His approach emphasises collaborative intelligence fusion, particularly through initiatives such as the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell (MAAKFC) and other national threat-mitigation platforms.
His professional interests focus on the intersection of financial intelligence and operational security for counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency effectiveness; Strategic integration of financial and military intelligence to combat transnational organized crime, illicit arms trafficking, and terrorism financing networks; Policy development for crypto-asset regulation, precious metals and real estate supervision, and private-sector CFT engagement; research on data-driven security frameworks that enhance situational awareness, early-warning systems, and risk profiling for national defence and financial institutions.
A strong advocate for evidence-based policymaking, Rahman contributes to the design of internal government policy papers, multi-agency coordination protocols, and research projects intended for review and adoption by Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and the Presidency’s Security Committee. His vision is anchored on fostering sustainable synergy between financial governance and national security architecture — ensuring that Nigeria remains resilient against evolving asymmetric threats and the financial ecosystems that sustain them.
Rahman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, an Advance Diploma in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Investigations, and a Master’s degree in Criminal Psychology.
Realnews had announced on October 28 that Justice Ayotunde Phillips, former Chief Judge of Lagos State and former chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), would chair the lecture and moderate the panel session. The names of the Guest Speaker and Keynote will also be announced soon.
Realnews, a general interest magazine, is an online publication that thrives on investigative journalism. We have expertise in reporting on the oil and gas sector with its attendant environmental challenges. We aim to unearth exclusive stories about real people and the challenges they face in their day-to-day activities. We do this bearing in mind that the government can only act to influence the lives of people positively if they are aware of their true situation. Hence, our objective is to use our investigative skills to ferret out information in the sectors we focus on and produce an unbiased report that will influence the government and decision-makers to take actions that will make society better.
Realnews is populated by seasoned journalists who believe strongly in the tenets and ethics of the profession. The online publication believes that journalism as the fourth Estate of the Realm, can contribute its quota towards building a fair and just society where fundamental human rights are respected and citizens have the freedom to pursue their interests anywhere in the world without hindrance. Its editors have a combined experience of several decades in active journalism practice and are highly dedicated to serving humanity. Hence its motto: “For God and Humanity.”
Realnews Anniversary Lecture Series was established to commemorate the best minds in our society and to tap from them to enrich the discourse in our national development. The 12th Anniversary Lecture of Realnews was delivered by His Excellency, Ambassador Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. The 11th Anniversary Lecture in 2023 on The Threats of Illicit Funds Flow to the African Economy was delivered by Dr. Edwin W. Harris Jr., Director-General, ECOWAS Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). The 10th Anniversary lecture in 2022 on “Drug Abuse among Youths in Africa: Implication for Nigerian Economy and 2023 Elections” was delivered by Brigadier General Buba Marwa, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA; the 9th Anniversary Lecture of Realnews in 2021 was delivered by Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board on “Nigeria in the Unfolding Integration of the African Market: The Oil and Gas Perspective”; 2020 Eighth Anniversary Lecture of Realnews was delivered by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 on Managing COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: The Nigeria Experience; Former President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana gave the 2019 Lecture on Beyond Politics: An Economic Narrative for West Africa while Prof. Mahmood Yakubu spoke on Political Transitions and Africa’s Economic Development: Preparations for Nigeria’s 2019 General Elections at the 2018 Lecture. The 2017 Fifth Anniversary Lecture on African Leadership in a Turbulent Era was delivered by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education and former World Bank Vice President. The 2016 Fourth Anniversary Lecture on Security and National Development in Plural Democratic Society was delivered by Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative to West Africa and Sahel; the 2015 Realnews Third Anniversary Lecture was delivered by Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on November 19, 2015, under the theme: It’s The Nigerian Economy, Stupid? The Second Realnews Anniversary Lecture on Nigerian Democracy: Getting it Right in 2014 was delivered by Professor Maurice Iwu, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
