My Acceptance Speech: When We Build a System that People can Trust, People will Entrust Us with the System- Paul Ezeafulukwe, Chairman Re-elect, SiBAN
Fellow SiBANites,
When you get your goodbye speech ready because you know it’s time to go only to be re-elected to pick up the baton from where you stopped, what would most likely happen to you is what happened to me today: I didn’t have a return speech.
But I think I now have what you might call a speech.
Firstly, I greatly appreciate you all for the vote of confidence reposed in me. In an industry of giants such as that of Nigeria, it’s a privilege to be called upon, twice, to provide leadership. Thank you very much.
Secondly, when we build a system that people can trust, people will trust you with the system. When people do not trust us with the system, it’s often because we failed to build one. Fellow SiBANites, let’s work together to make that system better.
What system?, you might ask. A system where every stakeholder who puts first the vision that bind us together will be first amongst the rest. A system where everyone will work together to build a safer, bigger, and happier blockchain & crypto ecosystem for our collective interest as an association. A system where players from far and wide will be proud to associate with. With a strong system, we can build a stronger ecosystem.
Thirdly, in my fresh tenure as SiBAN Chairman, in close working relationship with my team, especially the Secretariat and the Vice Chairpersons, we shall focus on:
- Ensuring a safer blockchain and crypto ecosystem in Nigeria by improving existing self-regulatory mechanisms while also strengthening the new Ethics, Complaints, and Disciplinary Committee that will check against any member that gets involved in illegal and shady activities that may expose unsuspecting members of the public to high risks and losses through unreasonable promises of returns on investment;
- Mobilize resources from within the community to take blockchain and cryptocurrency education to the people by introducing SiBAN’s education platform to which all SiBAN members–particularly corporate members–will be encouraged to endorse and support towards achieving a higher level of education amongst the masses that eventually benefits all players;
- Officially adopt, institutionalise, and fully operate SiBAN membership model for both individual and corporate members in the Nigeria blockchain and cryptocurrency space, including foreign projects that either operate in Nigeria;
- Monitor and ensure regulatory compliance by players regarding all applicable laws, including laws and regulations on KYC/AML/CFIT and the Nigeria Data Protection and Regulation 2019 to improve consumer protection and protect the data privacy of users of blockchain and cryptocurrency projects;
- To partner and collaborate with relevant organizations on proper blockchain and cryptocurrency research for the purpose of having informed policies, regulations, and laws;
- Mobilize resources to support members whose approved projects may benefit from funding or support from a network of support and funding platforms that we will consciously grow and maintain for the benefit of our members only; and
- Collaborate with blockchain bodies across Africa to ensure that Africans benefit more from the blockchain technology by leveraging it to improve their socio-economic lives and not being exploited by both local and foreign projects whose goals or business practices do not align with the collective interest of the African people.
Lastly, fellow SiBANites, neither I nor my team members can achieve the goal above alone. I therefore encourage enjoin you all to support us. With your support, there is nothing that we cannot achieve towards realizing our full potentials. I also want to thank the past executives for all their support, contributions and effort in making Siban what it is today.
Thank you again and God bless you all.
Paul Ezeafulukwe
Chairman Re-Elect, SiBAN