By Olufemi Odeyemi, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS
Tech executives, traditional dignitaries, thought leaders and industry pioneers converged at the Fabac Centre on Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, for the presentation and review of “The Woman I Have Become,” a new memoir by Forbes-featured tech leader and global executive, Dr. Adeshola Cole-Alegbe.
The event combined candid reflections on personal resilience with forward-looking conversations on technology, culture and purposeful leadership. It featured a keynote address by Her Majesty Queen Ashley Afolasade OjajaOgunwusi and a review by Olufemi Odeyemi.
In the memoir, Dr. Cole-Alegbe offers an unfiltered account of overcoming childhood adversity, from being placed in UK private foster care at age two and enduring severe childhood abuse, to the sudden cultural displacement she experienced on arriving in Nigeria in 1993.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the book, Dr. Cole-Alegbe said grief was a major catalyst for writing it. She recounted how negative feedback earlier in her life only hardened her resolve, turning obstacles into stepping stones toward success. She credited her transformation to drawing closer to God and deliberately surrounding herself with the right associations. Looking ahead, she disclosed plans to launch youth-focused empowerment initiatives, under a “catch them young” philosophy, as part of her strategic roadmap for 2027.
Reviewing the memoir, Olufemi Odeyemi, a journalist described it as a deeply gripping, raw and unforgettable journey through triumph over adversity, offering readers an inspiring roadmap to success and self-discovery.
In her keynote address, built around the themes of Influence, Technology, Responsibility and Impact, Her Majesty Queen Ashley Afolasade OjajaOgunwusi urged leaders and young professionals to deploy tools such as Artificial Intelligence to build lasting legacies rather than chase visibility.
She told the gathering that influence today is no longer measured by titles, followers or name recognition, but by the changes that follow one’s presence, noting that technology can amplify influence but only purpose can convert that influence into real impact.
On the place of cultural heritage in a digital age, Her Majesty stressed that embracing innovation does not mean abandoning identity, insisting that tradition and innovation can coexist and that history and heritage can be carried into the digital economy rather than erased by it. She challenged attendees to interrogate three questions when navigating digital transformation: What do I know? Who can it help? And how can technology help multiply that impact?
Discussions on the day also explored the intersection of human agency and emerging technology. Speakers pointed to the growing importance of prompt engineering, the art of framing questions precisely so that AI tools deliver accurate, actionable results.
There were also cautions against over-reliance on AI, with speakers warning that individuals must guard their time and critical thinking to avoid technology breeding mental laziness. The central message was that the real question is not what AI can do, but what real-world problems people can solve with it.
Captain Dele Alegbe, the author’s husband, was there to support his wife throughout and closed out the programme with the vote of thanks.
The event closed with calls on industry leaders to open pathways for emerging talent, mentor young professionals, and use their platforms to drive sustainable impact across Africa’s digital economy.
