From the precision of mathematics classrooms at the University of Lagos to the high-stakes world of digital security manufacturing, Kofo Akinkugbe’s trajectory has been defined by bold vision, resilience, and continent-wide impact.
Today, she stands as a towering figure in African tech entrepreneurship—the founder and CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd., the pioneering smart-card manufacturing powerhouse that is redefining digital infrastructure across the continent.
Kofo began her professional journey grounded in rigorous analytical training: she graduated summa cum laude in mathematics from the University of Lagos, where she was a prize-winning student.
Her acute grasp of numbers was complemented by business acumen sharpened during a 12-year tenure in banking with International Merchant Bank and Chartered Bank, before earning an esteemed Chevening Scholarship to pursue an MBA at Strathclyde Business School in Scotland.
The seeds of her entrepreneurial journey were sown in 1998 when she founded Interface Technologies Limited, a biometric and security systems firm, blending her technical foundation with a deliberate shift toward innovative solutions.
Initially operating from her home with a single staff member, Interface Technologies scaled over nine years to employ dozens and carve a significant niche in security management technologies .
From this base, in 2005 she launched SecureID Limited, a small division that soon erupted into the first VISA-certified smart-card production facility in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Not stopping there, she then inaugurated SecureCard Manufacturing in 2012—a facility that houses West Africa’s only polycarbonate smart-card plant and one of only six on the continent.
More than a symbol of industrial prowess, this manufacturing hub addresses the systemic underdevelopment of tech infrastructure by delivering durable, local tech alternatives to critical institutions. SecureID and its sister operations have grown to supply banking, telecoms, and government identity services across at least 16 nations, producing everything from EMV-compliant bank cards and GSM SIMs to national ID cards—under full certification from Visa, MasterCard, and Verve .
In a 2025 interview with CNN, Akinkugbe reflected, “the gap I saw was that there wasn’t a local manufacturing card plant here … and the cards … were being imported.”
Her solution: build it locally—and the impact has reverberated across borders .
Her journey is marked by landmark recognition.
In 2012, she earned the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship (Mature Business Award) . In 2017, she was appointed by then-acting president Yemi Osinbajo to the Nigerian Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council—a testament to her strategic influence on national industrial development .
In 2022, the Nigerian government conferred upon her the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), affirming her contributions to local manufacturing and technological sovereignty .
One of her most telling reflections on leadership, shared in a 2025 Premium Times interview, breaks the myth of autopilot success: gaining certifications from industry giants like Visa and MasterCard “was gruelling,” involving exhaustive audits and infrastructure investments.
Still, she persisted—seeing beyond the challenge toward the broader legacy of job creation, technological advancement, and inspiring a generation of African innovators to believe in themselves .
For young women navigating sectors—especially male-dominated tech manufacturing—Akinkugbe offers a blueprint rooted in emotional intelligence, discipline, and a steadfast belief in intuition as a feminine superpower.
She counsels embracing criticism as strength, building support systems, and defining one’s own success on personal terms .
Her legacy transcends product lines.
Kofo Akinkugbe has architected a path where African industries no longer rely solely on foreign imports for secure technology. She has built the infrastructure, workforce, and regulatory benchmarks necessary for local and continental resilience.
In so doing, she has authored a powerful narrative: that with vision and tenacity, African innovators can define—and own—the future of their own economy.
