| Name: | Judge Adebayo Kalejaiye |
| year | 2024 |
| categories | Cybersecurity and Technology |
Adebayo Kalejaiye is a highly respected cybersecurity and technology leader whose work has significantly strengthened the resilience of Africa’s financial systems. With extensive experience across leading pan-African banks, his career has been defined by building scalable, AI-powered security frameworks that protect millions of customers and billions in digital assets.
By 2023, Adebayo was serving as Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at United Bank for Africa (UBA), where he led the development of a comprehensive cybersecurity policy framework spanning 20 African countries. This initiative reduced the bank’s cyber-attack surface by 95%, mitigated over $10 million in potential data breach exposure, and reinforced operational continuity across the institution’s vast network. He also directed teams in building proactive risk detection and vulnerability management protocols that safeguarded over $20 million in digital assets. Recognizing the human element in cybersecurity, he championed multilingual awareness campaigns that increased institutional cyber readiness by 80%.
Before his time at UBA, Adebayo served as Senior Information Security Engineer at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), where he designed a real-time cybersecurity monitoring solution that cut intrusion incidents by 80%. He drove PCI-DSS and ISO 27001 compliance efforts, fostering greater customer trust and contributing to a 60% rise in debit card adoption across West Africa.
Earlier, at Access Bank PLC, Adebayo spearheaded the bank’s enterprise cybersecurity strategy, safeguarding a customer base of over 52 million. He oversaw a $10 million Data Loss Prevention (DLP) initiative that enhanced data protection by 70%, and led customer security communications in nine African countries ensuring that complex security measures were understood and trusted across diverse markets.
Adebayo holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos, graduating in the top 5% of his class in 2016.
Award Recognition
In the 2023 edition of the Dratech International Innovation Awards, Adebayo was honored with the Cybersecurity and AI-Driven Solution Innovation Award. This recognition highlighted his leadership in integrating artificial intelligence into cybersecurity operations, enabling real-time threat detection and adaptive defense measures across multi-jurisdictional banking environments.
Why He Was Selected as a Judge for the 2024 Dratech Hackathon
Adebayo’s selection as a judge for the 2024 Dratech Hackathon is a direct reflection of his exceptional track record in delivering measurable, high-impact solutions to complex cybersecurity challenges. His expertise spans policy design, AI-enabled threat intelligence, compliance frameworks, and cross-border security strategy making him uniquely positioned to evaluate cutting-edge innovations presented by hackathon participants.
The judging panel will benefit from his deep understanding of both the technical and strategic dimensions of cybersecurity, as well as his commitment to fostering solutions that are scalable, ethical, and adaptable to Africa’s rapidly evolving digital economy. His presence brings not only credibility to the competition but also mentorship potential for the next generation of innovators.
