Our History
Since 1997: the 21CTL story in five eras
A history of 21st Century Technologies built around five eras instead of a list of yearly milestones, with each statement attributed to the kind of source that supports it.
From commodities to technology: Wale Ajisebutu's road to 21CTL
A profile of the chairman and CEO of 21st Century Technologies that separates published biographical detail from his own recollections.
Wale Ajisebutu is Chairman and CEO of 21st Century Technologies Limited. This profile keeps two things apart: what published profiles report about his path, and what he has said about it himself.
- 1983Higher National Diploma in Accounting, with Distinction, Yaba College of Technology (as reported).
- 1987Qualified as a Chartered Accountant (as reported).
- 1997Founded 21CTL.
- 2018Spoke publicly about building an academy (his remarks).
- January 2023The Digital Expert Academy was officially opened.
Training as an accountant
Published profiles report that he earned a Higher National Diploma in Accounting, with Distinction, from Yaba College of Technology in 1983, and that he qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1987.
Commodities first, in his own account
In interviews, Wale Ajisebutu has described working for roughly 14 years in commodities before founding 21CTL. These recollections are his, and we present them as his rather than as independently established career history.
21CTL was founded in 1997.
A long interest in skills
He has spoken for years about skills and about retraining graduates. In 2018 he spoke publicly about building an academy. The Digital Expert Academy was officially opened in January 2023, which gives a five-year thread from stated intention to an opening. The companion article on the Academy follows that thread.
Infrastructure as foundation
In interviews he has described infrastructure as the foundation for a digital economy. We have not reproduced any direct quotation here, because each quotation will be checked against its original interview before it is used.
Recognition
Nigerian ICT trade press has reported his induction into the Beacon of ICT (BoICT) Hall of Fame. We have not added a year or further recognitions that the sources we hold do not establish.
Sources and attribution
This article draws on the sources below. Statements made by Wale Ajisebutu or by the company are attributed in the text and are not presented as independently established.
- Published profilesEducation and qualifications (as reported)
- Wale AjisebutuInterviews and public remarks (his own accounts)
- Nigeria Communications WeekHall of Fame report
- 21CTL Corporate siteCurrent role
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