Charles Uche Emembolu, Chief Executive Officer of Crestsage Limited, has outlined key professional milestones, leadership transitions and strategic priorities following what he described as a year of significant growth and responsibility in 2025.
Emembolu concluded his tenure as Chairman of the Innovation Support Network (ISN) Hubs Board during the year, marking the end of a leadership chapter that contributed to institutional development, ecosystem building and collaborative innovation across Nigeria. One of the major outcomes of that period was the successful delivery of Omniverse Africa 2.0, a pan-African technology and innovation platform.
Through Crestsage Limited and TechQuest STEM Academy, Emembolu led cross-border engagements spanning Nigeria, Mauritius, Rwanda, Germany and Cape Verde, reinforcing international collaboration in technology, talent development and innovation-driven growth.
Within Nigeria, a tour of Northern states including Kano, Katsina and Kaduna stood out as a defining experience. During the engagements, Emembolu was honoured with a traditional turbaning ceremony and conferred with the title Sarkin Kirkire (Chief of Innovation), recognising his contributions to technology and innovation. The honour highlighted the growing intersection between technology, cultural leadership and community development.
The year also underscored the importance of sustainability and personal well-being. Emembolu acknowledged experiencing burnout during the period, prompting a slowdown toward the end of the year to reset and refocus.
In 2025, he assumed additional leadership and advisory responsibilities, including his appointment as Chairman of the Council for Creative Technology Futures and his election to the Consultative Forum of Nigeria’s National Startup Act. He was also invited to support national institutions in areas such as talent development, digitalisation and technology policy.
Professionally, Emembolu attained Fellowship status with both the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), recognising sustained contributions to the technology and engineering sectors. On the personal front, the birth of his twins marked a significant life milestone.
Crestsage and its partners also expanded their talent development initiatives through collaboration with an additional University of Science and Technology, strengthening long-term commitments to skills development and capacity building.
Looking ahead, Emembolu said 2026 begins with renewed focus and confidence, anchored by preparations for Omniverse Africa 3.0, expected to further advance conversations around technology, innovation and Africa’s digital future.