Adetunji Oludele Adebayo: Nigeria’s Cybersecurity Strategist on Leading the Global AI Governance Race
Meet Adetunji Oludele Adebayo, one of Nigeria’s foremost cybersecurity strategists and GenAI GRC thought leaders, making significant waves in the global tech space. In this interview, he reminisced about how he embarked on his career path and shared his ambitious vision for securely transforming enterprise operations
Who is Adetunji Oludele Adebayo?
Adetunji Oludele Adebayo is a highly regarded Cybersecurity Professional and Thought Leader, best known for his work at the critical intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cyber risk, with a specific focus on Generative AI Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GenAI GRC).My profile is that of an “architect of trust” and a strategic forward thinker, actively building the foundational resilience needed for a world increasingly reliant on AI.I am a pastor and word dealer, an industrial judge, and a frequent public speaker. I contribute to academia as a peer reviewer for both conferences and journal articles, and I am the author of the recently published book, The GenAI Playbook for Leadership: Driving Innovation and Efficiency with Intelligent Agents, for C-Suite executives.
Could you share insights from your portfolio as a Cybersecurity Professional, Information Security Consultant, and GenAI GRC Lead?
My professional foundation is rooted in a unique systems thinking approach, which began with my B. Tech in Chemical Engineering and an M.Sc. in Technology and Project Management at the African Institute for Science Policy and Innovation (AISPI) from OAU University. This unconventional start was critical, as it trained me to analyse complex industrial systems, a skill I later applied to security architecture. I formalised this pivot to digital defence by completing an M.Sc. in Cybersecurity, including research, at the University of Bradford, which gave me the deep, ground-level understanding needed for effective information security management.As an Information Security professional, my focus has consistently been on transitioning organisations from reactive compliance to proactive resilience. My portfolio highlights quantifiable achievements in GRC, including successfully leading teams to secure ISO 27001 certification: a significant testament to robust security management. My practical work has directly resulted in substantial risk mitigation, including a 25 per cent reduction in third-party exposure and a drastic cut in non-compliance-related legal penalties. I hold key industry certifications as Lead Implementer credentials (ISO 20000, 27001, 22301), validating my expertise in governance, risk, and operational continuity.My current work is pioneering the critical field of Generative AI Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GenAI GRC). I am known for articulating the “GenAI Paradox,” which confronts the complex reality that AI’s efficiency introduces unpredictable, nondeterministic risks. In response, I developed the proprietary SAIS-GRC Framework, a blueprint for architecting trust and resilience in AI-driven supply chains. My clear professional direction is to lead organisations into the age of Agentic AI by establishing adaptive, real-time governance capabilities that ensure the ethical and secure integration of autonomous systems globally, setting the stage for future regulatory compliance, such as the EU AI Act.
What inspires you to embark on the path of cybersecurity/information security and GenAI GRC, to the point of writing a book, which we are reliably told you are writing another leadership book, in your domain for another publisher?
My path into cybersecurity, and subsequently into the highly specialised domain of GenAI Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), wasn’t accidental; it was driven by a fundamental realisation about trust and organisational resilience.My initial inspiration wasn’t the romanticised notion of hacking or breaking systems. It was the sober observation that trust is the most fragile asset in the digital economy. I began my career focused on Information Security because I saw that data security wasn’t just a technical concern; it was a business mandate. Without resilient security, companies could not function, and customer trust was instantly vaporised. I realised that my core purpose lies in building protective architectures that allow organisations to innovate without fear.The transition into GenAI GRC and Agentic AI became necessary because the nature of the threat fundamentally changed. When systems were purely transactional (IT), the security model was about barriers and firewalls. But now, we face two strategic discontinuities:
IT/OT Convergence: My work, particularly the SAIS-GRC framework, focused on securing critical physical infrastructure (Operational Technology) now being connected to the digital world. This raised the stakes immeasurably.
The Arrival of GenAI: With the introduction of GenAI, systems gained creative autonomy. They could write code, generate decisions, and even create hyper-realistic deepfakes, as I highlighted in my article on Hackernoon regarding the “Deepfake Identity Crisis.” Security shifted from protecting passive data to governing active, autonomous behaviour.My focus became ensuring that the incredible power of these “Agentic Enterprises” is harnessed ethically and securely. We must design governance into the systems, not bolt it on as an afterthought.
The Call to Action: Writing the Playbook
The decision to write The GenAI Playbook for Leadership was driven by a sense of professional urgency. As I consulted with C-suite executives and technical managers, I noticed a significant gap: they understood the opportunity but lacked a strategic blueprint for implementation. The market was saturated with technical manuals but lacked an executive guide.My book and my articles, such as the one detailing security in autonomous supply chains, became the vehicle for translating my GRC expertise into actionable leadership strategy. I designed the Playbook to be a comprehensive framework: from infrastructure and pilot projects to scaling and executive governance, that allows leaders to move confidently from intention to execution. It institutionalises the very strategic criteria my peers and I use to evaluate successful digital transformation.And yes, you are correct: the journey continues. The next book focuses on deepening the institutionalisation of AI governance for another publisher. My mission remains to ensure that, as technology advances at an exponential pace, human leadership and ethical governance keep pace. The work is constant, because the responsibility of leading the next industrial age requires nothing less than our total commitment.
Any success stories in your career?
My career journey has been less about following a conventional path and more about chasing strategic discontinuities; the points where technology breaks existing models and demands new forms of leadership. That search for resilience and proactive governance is the bedrock of my success and the inspiration for my book.My greatest professional success wasn’t achieving a certification or running a penetration test; it was proving that Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) could be a strategic, proactive asset rather than a reactive, cost-intensive burden.Early in my career, particularly during my time at Retex Digital, I led a team of cybersecurity professionals responsible for ensuring compliance with demanding international standards, such as ISO 27001. We were locked in what I call “spreadsheet hell”: a manual, reactive cycle of poring over unstructured data and constantly updating policies to meet ever-changing regulatory requirements. It was inefficient, error-prone, and unsustainable.My success was leading the strategic pivot out of that reactive cycle. By applying my systems thinking background (honed through my initial training in Chemical Engineering and later in Technology Management), I realised we couldn’t just manage the data; we had to transform the process.We successfully spearheaded the initiative to implement and maintain the stringent ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 standards, resulting in achieving the full ISO Lead Implementer 27001 certification. This wasn’t just a compliance badge; it forced a major improvement in the organisation’s security posture and resilience.
The book, The GenAI Playbook for Leadership: Driving Innovation and Efficiency with Intelligent Agents, is already a success story because it is fulfilling its mission to bridge the strategic gap.The book is uniquely positioned to translate the technological advancements I detail in my articles, such as securing autonomous robotics and managing the threat of deepfakes, into a language leaders understand: accountability and strategy.I’m privileged to receive personal feedback from industry leaders across the globe who tell me the book isn’t sitting on a shelf; it’s being implemented.Global Adoption: Leaders in key industrial and financial sectors across the United Kingdom, Dubai, and Nigeria have embraced the book. They are using the strategic frameworks to guide their decisions on scaling GenAI projects from successful pilots to full production.Executive Training Programs: Specifically in Nigeria, industrial leaders are seeking to deploy the book into their C-suite training programs. They recognise that the book provides the crucial architecture needed to secure innovation and ensure compliance in a dynamic market.Strategic Orchestration: Readers often share that the concept of the “Agentic Enterprise” and the SAIS-GRC framework clarified their chaotic approach to AI. They are now actively redefining roles, shifting their focus from micromanaging tasks to strategic orchestration of their human and AI assets.My ultimate goal is to see the Playbook deployed into good use by C-executives in the Fortune 500. Early adoption and demand for the book’s framework in executive training confirm that we are moving toward that objective. We are providing the essential strategic toolkit necessary to ensure the next generation of leadership is both innovative and rigorously secure.
How do you mentor or inspire others in your field as a GenAI GRC Lead?
My core philosophy is to cultivate Trust Architects—professionals capable of building secure systems aligned with organisational values. I prepare the next generation for the age of autonomous AI through three focused pillars:
Defence is Governance: I inspire a mindset shift: the most critical role is not preventing every breach, but establishing intelligent governance that proactively manages dynamic risk. We focus on mastering the AI lifecycle, from ensuring data purity to implementing explainable decision pathways (XDP). Compliance is framed not as a burden, but as a blueprint for strategic resilience.
The Master Translator Imperative: I challenge mentees to move beyond technical jargon and become fluent in translating complex threats (such as the “GenAI Paradox”) into business risks, regulatory exposure, and reputational damage. This ability to articulate policy and Python at the executive level is the key to unlocking true leadership and strategic influence.
Championing the Socio-Technical Solution: I emphasise that the deepest vulnerabilities are socio-technical (people, processes, culture), not just external. We focus on human-centric solutions, viewing issues like “Shadow AI” as an “AI utility gap.” This positions the mentee as a cultural change agent who designs adaptive GRC controls that empower users and work effectively in the real world.
Would you mind giving us an overview of your background and accomplishments?
My background is in cybersecurity and GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance), where I focus on securing the next era of autonomous technology. My core work involves creating strategic frameworks, such as the SAIS-GRC methodology, that bridge the gap between executive strategy and technical implementation across Operational Technology (OT) and GenAI. I authored The GenAI Playbook for Leadership to provide C-suite and technical leaders with a strategic blueprint for the Agentic Enterprise. My accomplishments include leading initiatives to achieve ISO 27001 certification, significantly reducing third-party risk exposure, and publishing influential articles on critical threats such as deepfakes and the security of autonomous supply chains. My goal is to equip global leaders with the tools needed to innovate responsibly and maintain digital trust.
