During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a critical question troubled Abiola Laseinde: why were the tech leaders and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) who were heroically maintaining global operations not being celebrated? This burning thought sparked the creation of The CIO & C-Suite Awards Africa, the continent's premier platform for honouring excellence in technology leadership.
The Mission: Shifting the Spotlight to Tech Backbones
Laseinde, the convener of the awards, recalled a time of crisis when cyberattacks surged and businesses faced collapse. She observed that while Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) regularly received accolades, the IT professionals "taking the bullet" remained invisible. Her mission became clear: to publicly crown these unsung heroes and give them the recognition they deserved.
The initial challenge was a significant cultural shift within companies. Marketing departments, accustomed to showcasing the CEO as the brand face, struggled to see the value in promoting a behind-the-scenes IT leader. Even the award nominees themselves were hesitant, often failing to inform their companies about their nominations and attending ceremonies quietly to avoid trouble. Laseinde's persuasive argument was that shining a light on the individual tech leader ultimately made the entire company shine.
A Rigorous and Merit-Based Selection Process
To ensure the awards' credibility, Laseinde established a stringent, governance-focused selection framework. A panel of senior IT veterans and founders was appointed as jurors to eliminate bias. Nominees are required to submit details of a project executed within the preceding 12 months, outlining its quantitative and qualitative impact on their organisation and value chain.
"It's all about justifiable achievement, not popularity," Laseinde emphasized. The process includes strict confidentiality clauses and rigorous desktop validation to verify all claims made in the submissions.
Impact and Boosting Female Representation in Tech
The awards have had a profound ripple effect. Testimonials confirm that the recognition not only provides personal visibility for the winners but also elevates the status of the entire IT department within their organisations. It fosters an environment where the CIO or Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) role is seen as essential to the C-suite, inspiring both current and future talent.
However, Laseinde noted a glaring issue: the painfully low female representation among nominees. By the awards' second edition, approximately 90% of nominees were men. In response, she founded the Ladies in Tech and Leadership Network (LITL). This initiative provides a relaxed coaching and mentorship space for honest conversations, confidence building, and encouraging women to step forward. The network has expanded across Africa, with events held in Kenya and planned for Rwanda. Progress, though slow, is tangible, with more women now nominating themselves and embracing celebration.
Abiola Laseinde is an award-winning legal and business executive with over two decades of multi-sectoral experience. She is also the founder of The CIO & C-Suite Club Africa, a network of over 1,000 senior technology executives, and the CEO of Edniesal Consulting. Her career ambition includes serving as Nigeria's ambassador to the United States, leveraging her passion for tech ecosystems to bridge continents.
