Abdulmalik Iliyasu-Turning Technology Into Business Value

Leaders at a Glance

A seasoned technology leader with over a decade of experience in driving innovation and digital transformation across sectors like insurance, fintech, utilities, oil, and government and currently, as CIO at Veritas Kapital, Abdulmalik Iliyasu spearheads strategic initiatives, focusing on practical solutions and sustainable growth.

Name: Abdulmalik Iliyasu
Designation: Head of Information Technology
Company: Veritas Kapital Assurance PLC
Industry: Insurance
Country: Nigeria

Abdulmalik Iliyasu-Turning Technology Into Business Value

Long before artificial intelligence became a boardroom priority and digital transformation became a corporate mandate, organizations faced a simpler but far more difficult challenge. They had to prove that technology could create measurable business value rather than simply add another layer of complexity. For Abdulmalik Iliyasu, Head of Information Technology at Veritas Kapital Assurance PLC, that question has shaped an entire career spanning power, insurance, oil and gas, enterprise technology, and innovation-led ventures across Nigeria.

What makes his journey distinctive is not the number of industries he has worked in, but the consistency of the philosophy that connects them. Whether helping power utilities increase revenue through GIS-enabled asset mapping, pioneering one of Nigeria’s first WhatsApp-based insurance platforms, or leading automation and AI initiatives in the insurance sector, Iliyasu has consistently focused on using technology to solve operational problems that directly affect business performance. His work sits at the intersection of innovation, governance, and execution, where ideas are measured not by ambition alone but by outcomes. In a conversation with The Portfolio Magazine, he reflects on the leadership lessons, technology decisions, and evolving opportunities shaping the future of digital transformation.

Which experiences most shaped your technology leadership across diverse industries?

Over the years, I have been fortunate to work across sectors as diverse as power, oil and gas, fintech, and InsurTech. Each phase of that journey brought a different set of challenges, but, more importantly, it exposed me to remarkable mentors, colleagues, and industry leaders who continually broadened my perspective. Looking back, the most enduring lesson remains unchanged. Technology should solve real operational and economic problems rather than simply appear innovative on paper.

My time in the power sector was particularly influential. Working on initiatives such as Project 415 and Eagle Eye exposed me to large-scale infrastructure challenges and demonstrated how GIS and digital mapping technologies could improve operational intelligence and revenue performance. Oil and gas projects introduced a different reality where reliability, uptime, and operational continuity were non-negotiable, reinforcing the importance of governance and execution discipline. Moving into fintech and InsurTech further expanded my perspective, showing that successful digital transformation depends not only on technology but also on trust, compliance, accessibility, and user confidence. One decision that fundamentally shaped my leadership approach was prioritizing local capability development alongside innovation, ensuring organizations could sustain and scale solutions long after deployment.

What concerns define technology leadership in today's rapidly changing environment?

Technology leaders operate in an environment where the pace of change is often faster than organizations are designed to absorb. Cybersecurity, AI governance, talent development, and digital trust have become defining concerns because each one influences the success of the others.

Cybersecurity, for example, has evolved from a technical issue into a business resilience issue. As organizations digitize more processes, the consequences of disruption extend directly into operations, customer confidence, and financial performance. At the same time, many organizations are feeling pressure to adopt AI before fully understanding its operational, ethical, and regulatory implications. Sustainable adoption requires more than enthusiasm. It requires governance, clear objectives, and measurable outcomes.

I navigate these challenges by staying close to operational realities while maintaining a long-term innovation mindset. Technology leadership today requires a balance between experimentation and discipline, and I encourage teams to focus on solving business problems first before deciding which technologies are best suited to address them.

Which AI opportunities excite you most across fintech and InsurTech today?

What excites me most about AI is its ability to expand access and create trust at scale, particularly across emerging markets where financial and insurance services remain inaccessible to many people. In fintech, intelligent analytics and alternative data models have the potential to improve financial inclusion by helping institutions serve underserved populations and small businesses more effectively.

Within InsurTech, the opportunity lies in simplifying experiences that have traditionally been complex and difficult to navigate. Advances in underwriting, fraud detection, claims processing, and product personalization can make insurance more accessible while improving customer confidence. Embedded insurance and API-driven ecosystems are also creating entirely new distribution models.

Preparing for this future requires more than adopting new tools. Sustainable transformation depends on governance, skills development, and team building that is adaptable enough to embrace innovation while remaining focused on measurable business outcomes.

What principles guide your most important technology investment decisions today?

Before evaluating any technology investment, I start with a simple question. What problem are we trying to solve? Once that answer is clear, it becomes much easier to assess potential value, define success, and determine whether a solution can remain sustainable over time.

Experience has also taught me that organizations often underestimate the human side of transformation. Large-scale deployments may appear ambitious, but they do not always deliver the strongest outcomes. Incremental change often leads to greater adoption because it allows people to build confidence, demonstrate value, and adapt gradually. Equally important is involving stakeholders early in the process. The most successful initiatives I have led were shaped by collaboration between business leaders, operations teams, and end users rather than technology teams working in isolation.

“Technology enables transformation, but people ultimately determine whether it succeeds.”

Which skills will separate future-ready technology leaders from the rest?

The role of technology leadership is expanding far beyond traditional IT management. Technical expertise will always matter, but future leaders will be expected to connect technology decisions with business strategy, governance, and organizational change.

AI literacy has become essential because leaders must understand where AI creates value, where its limitations exist, and how it should be governed responsibly. Cybersecurity awareness is as important as digital trust, as it increasingly influences business performance and customer confidence. Data intelligence is equally critical because organizations generate vast amounts of information, yet competitive advantage belongs to leaders who can translate that information into meaningful decisions.

Ultimately, adaptability may become the defining characteristic of future leadership. Technology will continue evolving faster than established leadership models, which means curiosity, continuous learning, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly will separate effective leaders from the rest.