The blockchain and cryptocurrency sector is male-dominated, but more women are now taking up space and leading the charge in one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing industries.
Here are eight of these women:
Faith Obayemi
Faith Obafemi is a digital international lawyer with a forte in blockchain, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies. With five years of legal experience, she helps projects navigate the complexities of crypto regulations and compliance through her consulting firm, Future-Proof Intelligence (FINT).
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Obafemi and her team contributed to the Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) section of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Payment System Vision 2030, offering valuable insights and recommendations. She also works on automating legal documents integrated with smart contracts using OpenLaw, a platform powered by the Ethereum blockchain.
Obafemi is also a Research Fellow at the African Academic Network on Internet Policy (AANOIP), where she conducts in-depth research on the intersection of blockchain and law. In addition to her legal expertise, she is a skilled digital content writer, authoring numerous informative and engaging articles for major global online publications.
Obafemi’s work has earned her recognition on the cover of Legal Business World, an international magazine for lawyers. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Benin and her Master’s degree from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Ruth Iselema
Ruth Iselema is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Bitmama, the first woman-led crypto exchange in Nigeria with footprints across Africa, Europe, and the US. Iselema has played a key role in advancing blockchain adoption and fostering innovation in Nigeria. Her efforts include raising awareness about blockchain technology and its transformative potential across diverse sectors in the country. She is also deeply engaged in designing blockchain-based solutions specifically tailored to address the unique needs of the Nigerian market.
These solutions span industries such as financial services, supply chain management, healthcare, and more. Iselema graduated as a Pharmacist from Central University Accra, Ghana, and forayed into entrepreneurship in 2013 when the African blockchain and fintech landscape were quite new.
Olayinka Odeniran
Olayinka Odeniran is the co-founder of the Black Women Blockchain Council, an organisation committed to increasing the participation of young girls and black women in blockchain and fintech. Odeniran is also the Creative Director of International Women of Blockchain. The International Women of Blockchain (IWB) is an all-women speaker conference focused on blockchain topics that impact the world. She is a prominent voice in the industry and has delivered impactful presentations at numerous blockchain conferences, showcasing her expertise and thought leadership.
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With over 17 years of experience in compliance, Odeniran has been pivotal in helping financial institutions navigate complex international regulations. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and an M.S. in Cybersecurity Management and Policy. She possesses a wealth of knowledge in information assurance, benefiting both the financial and blockchain sectors.
Sarah Idahosa
Sarah Idahosa is an expert in Web3 community building, education, and decentralised finance (DeFi) research. She is the founder of Women in DeFi, a community dedicated to equipping women with knowledge of blockchain technology and empowering them to navigate the Web3 ecosystem by leveraging their existing Web2 skills.
In addition to her leadership at Women in DeFi, Idahosa serves as the Partnership and Community Growth Lead at Mansa, a DeFi platform specialising in liquidity solutions for cross-border payment companies. Her efforts are rooted in a strong commitment to helping individuals transition seamlessly from Web2 to Web3 technologies.
She has collaborated with leading tech organisations such as Cassava Network, Mara, Myth of Money, and Africa Tech Summit, cementing her influential role and significant contributions to the global tech community. She has an MBA from Nexford University.
Deborah Ojengbede
Deborah Ojengbede is the co-founder of AFEN Blockchain Network. With her experience in banking, she leverages blockchain’s transformative potential to create decentralised and transparent systems.
Oluchi Enebeli
Oluchi Enebeli is the co-founder of Crevatal, a Web3 design agency, and Web3 Ladies, a community she created to bring more women into the space. Enebeli is one of Nigeria’s first female blockchain engineers. After delving into blockchain learning, she actively participated in numerous hackathons, one of which took her to Manhattan, USA. She later secured a role as a blockchain engineer at Sterling Bank, marking the beginning of her upward trajectory. Since then, she has collaborated with industry giants like Binance, Crypto.com, and Bundle and spearheaded the launch of Nestcoin, a Web3 platform.
Read also: From Promise to Progress: The Transformative Power of Blockchain Technology in Africa
Doris Ojuedeire
Doris Ojuedeire is a blockchain evangelist and the founder of Blockchain Ladies Africa (BAL), a group uniting 3,000 African women and championing blockchain education. As an entrepreneur and business advisor, she brings a unique blend of expertise in entrepreneurship, business development, and strategic marketing. Ojuedeire is passionate about empowering women in Africa, and she views blockchain as a pathway to freedom for African women, driving her dedication to this transformative technology.
Grace Olayinka
Grace Olayinka is a blockchain app developer. Beginning her professional journey as a front-end developer, Olayinka has spent over five years delivering innovative technical solutions across diverse software platforms, including the Web3 ecosystem.
Driven by a passion for knowledge-sharing, she has personally trained over 1,500 individuals, collaborating with SeedDev, Matrix Labs, Tech4Teens, and Google CS First. Her training expertise spans a variety of skills, including frontend development, Scratch programming, and Python.
Olayinka is a B.Tech graduate in Mathematics from the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria. As a trainer, mentor, writer, and keynote speaker, she has delivered talks on blockchain, NFTs, Web3, frontend development, and career growth at various platforms, including the Andela Learning Community, EnoverLab, Patral Multiversity, and Google Africa Development Club.
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