Tribute To A Friend Cum Business Partner – Mahassin L. Quadri

By Roland Akindele Esq.

On Friday, May 26th, I received news of the passing of a remarkable individual, someone I regarded as one of the most exceptional human beings I have ever known – MAHASSIN L. QUADRI.

Labaks, as she was affectionately called by myself and many others, introduced me to the fundamentals of crypto trading around 2017 and 2018. A year later, due to the unpredictable market fluctuations, I decided to liquidate my entire crypto assets.

In 2020, I reached out to her once again and was pleasantly surprised to discover that she was still actively engaged in crypto trading, despite the constant market volatility. Expressing my interest in returning to crypto trading, she insisted that I should undergo the necessary training programmes. I agreed, and she generously offered discounts for her training sessions.

Labaks demonstrated remarkable transparency in all the business transactions she facilitated for me. Furthermore, her exceptional virtue of unwavering patience prevailed even during challenging times.

Three years ago, my curiosity led me to ponder the fate of crypto assets in the event of the owner’s demise, considering their reliance on digital private keys. In her characteristically candid manner, she suggested that this could become a project for me to tackle and monetize if I could find a solution.

Labake, trained as a lawyer and driven by a passion for technology entrepreneurship, dedicated herself to blockchain education and digital content creation. Her ambitious aspiration was to bring 10,000 Africans into the world of blockchain annually. To achieve this goal, she regularly organised a series of activities, including free training programmes, aimed at empowering the underserved within our current financial systems to leverage the opportunities provided by the blockchain realm. She was a purpose-driven educator, focused on fostering adoption within the African blockchain and cryptocurrency industry.

As the convener of CoinTalk – Africa, a monthly webseries where a panel of African experts explored crucial issues pertaining to blockchain and Digital Ledger Technology (DLT) in Africa, Labake made a significant impact. Additionally, she founded CashMadam Technologies, which developed the award-winning CashMadam App, an innovative business automation solution for small and growing enterprises. In 2015, her work on the CashMadam App earned her the distinction of becoming a Fellow of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program (TEEP). She also established www.thetechtiger.com, a blog dedicated to science, technology, innovations, and startups in Africa and its surrounding regions.

I have lost an invaluable friend, a sounding board for knowledge. One of our numerous intellectually stimulating discussions on technology inspired my published research paper on metaverse dispute resolution mechanisms.

Labaks, your absence will be deeply felt, and I wholeheartedly thank you for enriching my intellect and life with your profound influence.

Goodnight , Labaks!

Written By Roland Akindele Esq. Faculty of Law Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State