HENRY IMASEKHA JOINS SPECIAL GUESTS AS MAGNUS ONYIBE UNVEILS LANDMARK WORK ON STATE POLICE

By Meabe Silas

Among the distinguished guests gathered at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja for the unveiling of Imperative of State Police in Nigeria, one figure stood apart—not by volume, but by the quiet weight of accomplishment.

Mr. Henry Imasekha—Chartered Accountant, banking veteran, and telecommunications pioneer—embodied the rare intersection of institutional excellence and national security discourse. His career began in 1982 at International Merchant Bank, where he built deep expertise across credit, marketing, corporate banking, investment banking, and treasury. He later rose to Executive Director of Investment Banking and then Corporate Banking at the newly privatised United Bank for Africa.

As a founding director and key promoter of Econet Wireless Nigeria (now Airtel), he helped pioneer mobile telephony in the country. Today, as co-founder of CYBERSOC Africa Limited, he leads a cybersecurity firm that protects major banks, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other critical public and private institutions.

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) with an MBA from City University Business School, London, Mr. Imasekha has further refined his strategic acumen through Harvard’s Advanced Management Programme, MIT’s Corporate Strategy Programme, and Oxford’s Advanced Management Programme.

His presence at the launch of Magnus Onyibe’s work—examining the case, strategy, operations, and framework for state policing—brought both gravitas and substance to the occasion. In a room confronting the complex roots and unresolved questions of security reform, Mr. Imasekha’s distinguished record stood as a quiet testament to the enduring value of proven leadership in matters of national importance.