In a move aimed at bolstering the Bank of Industry’s capacity to support business owners across Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has appointed two new executive directors, effective Monday, August 26, 2024. The appointments were announced on Wednesday, highlighting the President’s commitment to strengthening the financial institution.
Mr. Rotimi Akinde has been named the Executive Director for Corporate Finance and Risk Management, while Mrs. Ifeoma Uz’Okpala has been appointed as the Executive Director for the Large Enterprises Directorate.
Mr. Akinde is a seasoned finance professional with over two decades of experience in Investment and Corporate Banking. His extensive background spans capital raising, including debt, equities, and hybrid instruments, as well as corporate finance activities such as mergers and acquisitions, privatization advisory, and project finance.
Before joining the Bank of Industry, Mr. Akinde was an Associate Partner at Infrastructure Delivery International (IDI), where he contributed to the UKNIAF program and promoted green finance and structured debt solutions for sub-national entities. His prior roles include serving as Corporate Finance Advisor at the Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF) and as Group Head & Assistant General Manager of Multinationals at UBA Plc. He also held the position of Vice President of Corporate Finance & Advisory at UBA Global Markets (now United Capital).
Notably, Mr. Akinde has played significant roles in Nigeria’s privatization efforts, serving as Privatization Adviser & Head of the Oil & Gas Team at the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), where he oversaw the divestiture and sale of the Federal Government’s equity interest in 11 Oil Services Companies and the sale of LPG assets.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Akinde gained experience in the UK financial sector, working as an Investment Analyst with Barclays Funds, London, and as an Analyst with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, London. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University, a Master’s Degree in International Securities, Investment & Banking from the University of Reading, UK, and an Executive MBA from INSEAD.
The appointments of Mr. Akinde and Mrs. Uz’Okpala are seen as strategic moves to enhance the Bank of Industry’s role in driving economic growth and supporting large enterprises, particularly in a challenging economic environment.
