Chioma Wilson-Dike is not your conventional lawyer. She is a systems thinker, strategist, and LegalTech founder reimagining how law can be used to scale trust, clarity, and regulatory foresight.

Her career, which spans public law reform, corporate finance, ESG leadership, and AI-powered compliance, offers a blueprint for building purpose-driven systems in complex, fast-evolving environments.

From helping draft a landmark procurement law for a Nigerian state government to being selected for the Web Summit ALPHA program, Chioma’s journey is redefining how legal frameworks serve both people and institutions in Africa and beyond.

Today, she leads Lexlytic, a regulatory intelligence platform that helps legal and compliance teams navigate legislation with speed, precision, and cross-border context. Her work is transforming how regulation is accessed, interpreted, and acted on.

In this exclusive Crest Africa Spotlight, Chioma shares the pivotal moments that shaped her career, the challenges she has overcome, the “why” behind her bold innovations, and her expansive vision for the future of law and technology.

CA: Chioma, your journey as a cross-border regulatory lawyer and LegalTech founder is truly inspiring. Can you take us back to how it all began?

Chioma: Thank you. My journey began in 2018. As a young associate, I was entrusted with leading the drafting of a public procurement and PPP reform bill for a Nigerian state government.

As a young associate, it was a defining moment, one that showed me that law could be a powerful tool to design systems, not just resolve disputes. That experience lit a fire in me.

I saw how legal frameworks could shape public accountability, transparency, and even economic development. That project laid the foundation for everything that came after.

CA: That’s an impactful beginning to your career. Carving out a path in regulatory compliance and legal innovation takes grit and clarity. What was your journey like, and were there any key mentors or role models who guided you along the way?

Chioma: Honestly, the journey has been anything but linear. I transitioned from public sector reform into corporate finance, and then into ESG, compliance, and LegalTech.

It has been a story of curiosity and courage. I’ve been fortunate to learn under visionary professionals, from senior lawyers who taught me the importance of structure and precision, to ESG leaders in global firms who challenged me to think in systems and impact.

Their belief in long-term, values-driven legal work deeply shaped how I lead today.

CA: That’s a remarkable progression. The world of regulation and LegalTech moves quickly and demands constant adaptation. What challenges did you encounter, and how did you navigate them?

Chioma: One of the biggest challenges was the sheer complexity and fragmentation of regulatory information across jurisdictions.

Legal professionals were constantly reacting instead of anticipating. Another challenge was being a lawyer entering the tech space. There’s often a perception that lawyers are not builders.

I pushed through by anchoring in clarity, staying close to the problem, engaging with users, and constantly learning the language of design, data, and product.

CA: Your career has clearly been shaped by both resilience and purpose. What kept you motivated, especially during the tough early days of launching Lexlytic?

Chioma: What kept me going was the mission. I had seen firsthand how brilliant compliance and legal teams were buried under legislation and manual tracking.

I knew there had to be a better way. I stayed motivated by reminding myself that if I could build even one tool that made a general counsel’s or compliance officer’s job easier, it would be worth it.

Community also played a big role. Talking to people who believed in what I was building helped sustain me through uncertainty.

CA: That speaks to the power of vision and support. How has your background and experience shaped your approach to LegalTech and regulatory transformation?

Chioma: My background gave me a unique vantage point. Working on law reform taught me about structure. Working in ESG showed me the power of stakeholder thinking.

Consulting at KPMG UK showed me how regulation and business strategy intersect. I don’t see LegalTech as just an automation tool.

I see it as a way to reimagine how law serves people, institutions, and economies. My approach is deeply human-centered, strategic, and informed by global perspectives.

CA: That’s a powerful reflection. You’ve built a respected voice in legal innovation. How does it feel knowing your journey and initiatives are shaping the future of law across Africa and beyond?

Chioma: It’s humbling and affirming. I never set out to be a voice in the space. I simply followed the problems I cared about and built where I saw gaps.

Knowing that my work is helping reframe what’s possible for lawyers, compliance teams, and young innovators across Africa is deeply meaningful.

I want people to see that you don’t have to choose between law and creativity, or between purpose and innovation. You can integrate them and build something transformational.

CA: Let’s talk about your platforms. What inspired you to share your knowledge and create Lexlytic and the Nigerian LegalTech Network?

Chioma: I believe leadership in innovation must be collaborative. Lexlytic was born out of a desire to solve a technical problem in legal compliance, while the Nigerian LegalTech Network was created to solve a community problem, connecting voices, founders, and professionals shaping the future of law.

I was inspired by the lack of visibility and infrastructure for legal innovation on the continent. Sharing knowledge is my way of building bridges, between disciplines, between people, and between vision and execution.

CA: It’s clear your journey has been both strategic and deeply impactful. Looking ahead, what’s next in your career? Are there any milestones or projects you’re particularly excited about?

Chioma: I’m currently focused on refining and scaling the regulatory intelligence platform we’re building, which has just been selected for the Web Summit ALPHA program, a major milestone.

I was also selected to pitch at Hack the Law-Cambridge, a prestigious legal innovation hackathon at the intersection of law and emerging technology.

Hosted by the King’s Entrepreneurship Lab at the University of Cambridge, in partnership with Stanford CodeX and Cambridge Judge Business School, the event convenes global legal and tech talent to solve real-world challenges.

Its 2025 edition is backed by leading sponsors including Google Cloud, Clifford Chance, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and the European Central Bank.

I’m also deepening partnerships with compliance teams and institutions across sectors to ensure that the solutions we’re creating are globally scalable but locally responsive.

Beyond tech, I’m passionate about shaping policy dialogues on innovation and law, particularly around ethical AI in legal infrastructure.

CA: That’s a meaningful evolution in your work. Based on your experience, what’s one common misconception about LegalTech or compliance that you would like to address?

Chioma: One of the biggest misconceptions is that it’s just about automation or ticking boxes. LegalTech is not a replacement for lawyers or regulators.

It’s a tool that amplifies insight, improves consistency, and enables better decision-making. Similarly, compliance is not the enemy of innovation. When done right, it is a driver of trust, sustainability, and long-term value.

CA: Before we wrap up, what advice would you give to anyone dreaming of making an impact in legal innovation?

Chioma: I would say, start where the pain is. Innovation isn’t always flashy. It often begins with noticing what’s broken, what’s inefficient, or what’s being ignored.

Then, be relentless about building a solution, no matter how small. And remember, innovation is not about perfection, it’s about progress.

Stay grounded in purpose, surround yourself with people who stretch your thinking, and never underestimate the value of asking better questions.