Mr Kola Okunola, Director Intelligence, Strategic Data Mining and Analysis
Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)

Mr. Kola Okunola is currently the Director Intelligence, Strategic Data Mining and Analysis Department in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). He was the Director of Information and Communication Technology, from 2010 to 2020. He has extensive technical and managerial experience spanning over 32 years in Private and Public Sector organizations. He has worked with various local and multinational companies such as Siemens, Unilever PlC, Xerox and Centre Point Network.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife. He attended Executive Education programs at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, Carleton University, Canada and Harvard University, USA. He is a Senior Executive Fellow (SEF) Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Microsoft Certified Professional, Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS), Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society (FNCS), Member of the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (MCPN), Member Nigerian Society of Engineers (MNSE), Member Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

Mr. Okunola has received local and international awards as follows:
• Received the Africa ICT Personality 2020 Award from the Africa ICT Alliance (AFICTA), for Contribution to ICT Enabled Growth and Development
• Received the FIRS Chairman’s Letter of Commendation for the Design and Implementation of Automatic Generation and Addition of Tax Identification Number (TIN) on CAC Certificate of Registration, 2020
• Received the Best Digital Economy Readiness Institution 2019 Award, issued by NITDA and Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy
• Received the World Bank’s Certificate of Appreciation for Contribution to Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs
• Received the 2016 Africa’s Best Technology Innovation Award, issued by the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), Johannesburg, South Africa
• Provided knowledge sharing sessions and technical assistance on business process automation to professional colleagues in the Revenue Authorities of Ghana, Liberia, Tanzania, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, Singapore etc.

Mr Okunola has served on various committees as follows: Chairman VAT Automation Committee, Chairman FIRS/CAC Integration and Electronic Stamp Duty Committee, Chairman FIRS/GIFMIS Integration Committee, member JTB Tax Identification Number (TIN) Project Steering Committee, member Presidential Committee on Citizen Data Management and Harmonization, he participated in the drafting of the National Data Protection Bill. He is a Member of the Governing Board of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC