Compliance and cybersecurity company, Smartcomply hosted a stakeholder breakfast on the 15th of January, 2025 at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel in Lagos.
Smartcomply is a cybersecurity and compliance automation company that provides intelligence and education to enterprises to build trust and safety in the compliance and data industry. Launched in 2021, the company set out to automate compliance in an industry that previously relied on manual processes and documentation.
The company offers enterprises five products;
- Smartcomply Secure: an AI-powered compliance and cybersecurity automation platform
- Adhere by Smartcomply: a seamless API to help organisations streamline AML compliance, prevent fraud, and ensure robust identity verification. Integrating this API helps businesses optimise KYC processes in addition to fraud monitoring and reporting.
- Smartcomply Intel: an intelligence product that gives enterprises access to vital threat intelligence to mitigate cyber attacks and protect business operations.
- Smartcomply Academy: a learning platform for comprehensive cybersecurity training programs. Courses are tailored to help learners advance in their careers with certifications in data protection and cybersecurity.
- Smartcomply Trust: A trust solution coming soon.
The event was anchored by Oluseye Soyode-Johnson, head of strategic partnerships and innovation at Bvndle, and was a convergence of regulators, CISOs, business leaders, and industry experts. Themed: “Navigating the future of compliance: Cybersecurity, privacy and regulatory updates for 2025”, it was intended to foster collaboration in compliance and cybersecurity and create unified frameworks for these industries.
In her opening speech, Valerie Azubuike, chief operations officer at Smartcomply discussed the importance of converging to share ideas and industry insights with industry stakeholders. She stated that, “The digital age has opened doors to unparalleled innovation, growth, and connectivity. However, it has also introduced a myriad of challenges that require our immediate attention. Cybercrimes are growing in sophistication and frequency, and data breaches have become a global concern. It is important to shape a secure, compliant, and privacy-conscious future in the African compliance and cybersecurity industry. Beyond compliance, fostering a culture of trust, accountability, and a proactive and integrated approach to compliance that resonates with customers, regulators, and stakeholders alike is imperative. As we journey through 2025, one question looms large: “How can we adapt to a rapidly evolving data and security landscape while staying ahead of emerging trends?”.
Committing to ethical data handling
In the dynamic internet age, there is a growing need for cybersecurity and compliance awareness. According to DataReportal, a total of 5.52 billion people around the world were using the internet at the start of October 2024, which is equivalent to 67.5% of the world’s total population. 103 million Nigerians used the internet in 2024 and internet penetration numbers reached 45.5% in the country.
This growing number of internet users in an evolving digital landscape, puts companies and their customers at risk for ransomware attacks, data breaches, and other cybercrimes. It also creates an urgent need for a robust, evolving, and unified compliance framework for the industry.
Kicking off the breakfast session, Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) highlighted emerging technologies (Artificial intelligence, Blockchain, IoT, etc.) and their importance in enhancing efficiency and innovation globally.
According to Olatunji, although emerging technologies are transforming industries by leveraging big data and fostering efficiency and innovation, this data dependency however, “raises significant privacy concerns that must be addressed to protect individual rights and maintain trust.” Adding that “By embracing a culture of data protection, implementing robust cybersecurity measures, and staying abreast of evolving regulatory landscapes, organizations and individuals can mitigate risks, safeguard their assets, and build a foundation for sustainable growth”
To address data protection concerns, Olatunji proposed 11 key strategies for organisations willing to take an ethical and legal approach to compliance.
Navigating the future of compliance: Cybersecurity, privacy and regulatory updates for 2025
The role of Law enforcement in cybersecurity
The Nigerian Police force is important in addressing legal compliance regulations but more importantly, they function to help mitigate cybercrimes. According to Uche Ifeanyi Henry, Commissioner of Police and director of the Nigeria Police Force-National Cyber Crime Center(NPF-NCCC), cybercrimes are on the rise due to the advancement and proliferation of technology, and “the lack of sensitization and awareness of victims of the modus operandi of cyber criminals”.
Citing internal stats and current court cases, CP Henry gave the audience a look into cybercrime strategies including phishing scams, DDoS attacks, identity theft, romance scams, and more. To mitigate these risks, he advises stakeholders to contact the NPF and legal authorities once an attack occurs and collaborate with them to; prevent, detect, respond/recover, and adapt/deter cyber crimes.
Navigating the future of compliance with Smartcomply
A panel of compliance and cybersecurity experts addressed current internet trends and what to expect in 2025 and beyond. Panellists included Adedoyin Ademola, chief information security officer at the Central Bank of Nigeria; Mohammed Onimisi Yahaya, from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Feyijimi Adewole, chief information security officer and data protection officer (CISO/DPO) at Coronation Merchant Bank; Femi Aremu, team lead for information security, program management, and governance and compliance at Unity Bank; Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) from the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), represented by Shehu Yahaya, acting director of operations, ICPC; Harrison Nnaji, Group CISO for FirstBank, represented by Emmanuel Okoroji, head of threat intelligence and incident management at FirstBank; Uche Ifeanyi Henry, CP, and Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner, NDPC.
Regarding how organisations can ensure compliance in a rapidly-evolving world, CP Henry advised stakeholders to embed cybersecurity education in internet processes and collaborate with the NPF to enforce existing laws.
Mohammed Yahaya counseled organisations to stay abreast of industry legal processes for compliance, and develop a risk management framework, or outsource to organisations with robust systems like Smartcomply. He also admonished them to adhere to a system of responsibility and accountability to build trust in the industry.
According to Feyijimi Adewole, to mitigate cyber attacks CISOs need to have a proactive mindset around data privacy and compliance. He also adviced that enterprises automate and improve their systems with emerging technologies to enable them efficiently evaluate, access, and modify their responses to threats.
The panellists also urged further collaboration between internal collaborators and external stakeholders in the data management, cybersecurity, and compliance industries.
The event ended with awards to panellists from Smartcomply, for their contributions to strengthening the compliance and cybersecurity industries.
More images from Smartcomply Compliance and Cybersecurity breakfast session 2025
