| Sir Demola Ben Aladekomo KJW | |
| Native Name: | Demola |
| Native Name Lang: | Yoruba |
| Birth Date: | 31 December 1957 |
| Birth Place: | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Occupation: | Computer engineer |
| Institutions: | DATA Foundation |
| Known For: | Pioneering the first e-card in Nigeria |
| Spouse: | Very Reverend Titi Aladekomo |
| Children: | Four |
Sir Demola Aladekomo KJW HOA (born 31 December 1957) is a computer engineer from Lagos, Nigeria. Aladekomo is the chairman of SmartCity Resorts Plc,[1] Card Centre Nigeria Limited,[2] Treasure-nest Limited, Crops Nigeria Limited, Chams Consortium Limited,[3] Insider Concepts Limited, and the founder of Chams Plc.[4] He is a Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society (FNCS)[5] and the Computer Professional Registration Council (CPN); a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and the immediate past President of the Lagos Business School Alumni Association (LBSAA)[6] and the Nigeria Computer Society, respectively. Aladekomo has also served as the vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of SmartCard Society of Nigeria. He is the founder of DATA Foundation[7] and Volunteer Corps,[8] non-governmental organizations engaged in corporate social investments in Nigeria. He is a Patron and "Handler of the Order of Anchor (HOA)" of the Lagos State Council, of the Boys' Brigade in Nigeria.[9]
Aladekomo graduated from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1982 with a degree in computer engineering and obtained an MBA from the University of Lagos in 1984.[10] He was Chief Executive Programmer at the Lagos Business School (LBS) from 1991 to 1992.[11] He is married to the Very Revered Titi Aladekomo, a Methodist minister, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. They have four children, one of which is Tomiwa Aladekomo, and other grandchildren.
Aladekomo founded Chams Limited (now Chams Plc, and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange) as the first indigenous computer maintenance outfit in Nigeria in September 1985.[12] Working as the chief engineer at the time, the company deployed Nigeria's first Wide-Area-Network WAN) on personal computers, and deployed the country's pioneer card technology. The company also contributed to the development of the first e-payment card in Nigeria: the Valucard[13] project, working with a consortium of five local banks.
Aladekomo helped transform Chams from a privately held company to public company listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. It attempted to differentiate itself in the Nigerian market by focusing on the business of identity management, ceding the increasingly cluttered card technology and transaction payments segments to its subsidiaries, ChamAccess Limited[14] and Card Centre Nigeria Limited.
NIN:
From 2007 to 2010, Demola led the successful rollout of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) National ID (NIN) project, a pivotal initiative in establishing national identity infrastructure for Nigeria. [15] [16]
SIMREG
Demola was instrumental in delivering the 2011 Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) SIM registration project, making possible the registration of millions of SIM cards and users nationwide. [17]
BVN
Demola also oversaw the 2013-2014 implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Bank Verification Number (BVN) initiative, which strengthened banking security and financial inclusion in Nigeria. [18] [19]
INEC VOTER DATABASE, CARDS & WORLD RECORD
Additionally, Demola led Chams to deliver a purified database of 54.3 million Nigerians and managed the delivery of voter cards for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2007. DEMOLA’s Chams earned the world record for the largest card personalization centre in the world at 1.75 million cards per day in his Abuja card factory. [20]
GUINESS WORLD RECORD
Demola established ChamsCities in Lagos and Abuja in 2008, which earned double Guinness World Records for its innovation and largest cyber centres in the world then.[21] [22]
Demola’s career is marked by numerous professional achievements. He served as President of the Nigerian Computer Society from 2011 to 2013 and as President of the Lagos Business School Alumni Association from 2012 to 2014.
As a trailblazer in Nigeria’s ICT industry, his leadership has been instrumental in driving innovation, particularly in pioneering e-payment platforms and smart card technologies in Nigeria
Demola voluntarily retired from Chams after serving for 30 years.
Now, as the Executive Chairman of SmartCity PLC, Demola is focused on shaping the future of urban living in Nigeria through the development of HazanaCity, a polycentric smart city with residential areas, tech hub+ and markets, in Ibadan and Osogbo. His commitment to sustainable, tech-driven urban environments is a testament to his vision of fostering innovation and economic growth.
Aladekomo is a Knight of John Wesley, the founder and past chairman of the Board of Trustees of Volunteer Corps and the DATA Foundation; a non-governmental organisation committed to professional volunteerism for public school education which has repeatedly awarded scholarships to students in public schools.[23]
Aladekomo has served in the following capacities: