Conversations around leadership have often centered on innovation and technology, however very few stories capture the quiet, relentless power of discipline, courage, and mastery like that of Dr. Victoria Omonigho Ekhomu.
As the Managing Director and Vice President of Trans-World Security Systems Limited and President of the School of Management and Security, she has led with a difference in the private security.
Her name is synonymous with excellence, integrity, and outstanding achievements, standing as both a guardian of safety and a beacon of empowerment for women across the continent.
Victoria’s journey began in Igueben, Edo State, where she was raised in a family that prized education and discipline.
Her father, a deputy director at the Central Bank of Nigeria, and her mother, a schoolteacher, instilled in her the values of diligence, respect, and service — virtues that would later guide her through the labyrinth of corporate leadership.
From St. Maria Goretti Girls Secondary School in Benin City to the University of Lagos where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and later to the University of Pittsburgh where she obtained a Master’s in Public Administration in 1986, Ekhomu’s was driven by the hunger to learn and excel.
When she returned to Nigeria, she found herself drawn into a world few women dared to enter. Together with her husband, the late Dr. Ona Ekhomu — widely regarded as Nigeria’s first chartered security professional — she helped build Trans-World Security Systems, a company that would become one of West Africa’s most respected names in risk management, corporate security, and executive protection.
At a time when private security in Nigeria was seen as a reactive service, she envisioned a professionalized, intelligence-driven industry capable of preventing crises before they occurred.
Ekhomu’s leadership was not built on chance; it was built on credibility.
In September 2005, she made history by becoming the first African woman to earn the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation, the gold standard for global security professionals.
That milestone didn’t just affirm her personal achievement — it shattered a barrier. In a sector dominated by men, she proved that competence, not gender, determines authority.
Her rise through the ranks of ASIS International — from Chapter Chairman to Senior Regional Vice President for West, Central, and Northern Africa — showcased her ability to lead across borders and cultures.
Her eventual appointment as Chairman of the ASIS African Advisory Council cemented her position as a continental voice in the security ecosystem.
At Trans-World Security Systems, Victoria Ekhomu’s influence runs deep.
The firm has designed and executed high-level security projects for both corporate and government clients, delivering solutions in surveillance, access control, and asset protection. But what truly distinguishes her work is her dual commitment to business and education.
Through the School of Management and Security, she has built a platform that trains professionals in risk management, information security, and executive protection — effectively grooming the next generation of African security experts.
In her view, no security system can outpace the competence of its people, and so she invests in knowledge as a long-term safeguard for society.
Her professional excellence has been matched by her ability to lead with empathy. In interviews, Ekhomu often reflects on the challenges of navigating a male-dominated industry, where women must work twice as hard to earn half the recognition.
But rather than succumb to frustration, she turned that reality into motivation. “Intelligence, integrity, and confidence,” she often says, “are the key traits every woman must cultivate to succeed.”
For her, leadership is not about titles; it is about credibility, resilience, and the courage to keep showing up, even when the odds are stacked high.
Over the years, her work has been celebrated globally.
In 2023, she received the Bill Zalud Memorial Award for Professional Excellence — one of the highest recognitions in international security — honoring her decades of dedication to professional standards and mentorship.
Yet, beyond the awards, Victoria’s legacy lies in the doors she has opened for others. Her mentorship programs and advocacy for women in security have inspired a new generation of female professionals to step into fields once considered out of reach.
After the passing of her husband, she faced the immense challenge of keeping their shared vision alive. Many would have slowed down, but Victoria Ekhomu rose stronger. She became not only the custodian of a legacy but its chief architect.
Through her leadership, Trans-World Security Systems has continued to evolve, expanding its reach while maintaining the principles of integrity, technical competence, and service that have defined it for decades.
Dr. Victoria Ekhomu is a voice of authority and transformation in Africa’s security landscape.
Her recent appointment to the Board of Trustees of the Admiral Augustus Akhabue Aikhomu Foundation underscores her broader commitment to advancing emergency healthcare and national resilience — a natural extension of her lifelong pursuit of safety in all its forms.
Her story carries profound lessons for women in business. It reminds us that leadership is not about fitting in, but about standing out with purpose. That excellence is the greatest equalizer. And that the barriers that exist today are meant to be broken by those who dare to lead tomorrow.
