MD & CEO at Bank of Industry | Economist | Development Finance Expert
Abuja, Nigeria
Joined September 2025
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A highlight of my day was advancing the Bank of Industry’s development agenda through our partnerships with the United Nations Development Programme (@UNDPNigeria ), under Project THRIVE Nigeria, and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (@OfficialNEPC ).
These collaborations reflect our commitment to strengthening Nigerian enterprises, expanding productive opportunities and improving access to wider markets. While our work with UNDP focuses on enterprise development, skills and livelihoods, our partnership with NEPC seeks to address barriers to export finance, international standards and market access.
The priority now is to translate these agreements into practical interventions that deliver measurable outcomes for Nigerian businesses and communities. Our success will be reflected in stronger enterprises, increased local value addition, job creation and a more competitive Nigerian economy.
At @boinigeria, we constantly ask a simple but important question: how can we make capital work better for Nigeria’s development?
That question was at the heart of the third edition of the BOI Annual Public Lecture, themed “Rethinking Capital for Inclusive Economic Transformation.”
In 2025, BOI disbursed ₦645 billion, supported over 12,000 businesses, and impacted 1.68 million jobs. These figures reflect meaningful progress, but they also highlight the scale of the opportunity ahead.
We must continue to mobilise long-term capital, expand access to financing for underserved businesses and sectors, unlock greater private-sector investment, and ensure that financing translates into measurable economic outcomes.
It was a pleasure to welcome our Guest Lecturer, Dr. Asad Alam, whom I had the opportunity to work with during my time at the World Bank. We were also honoured by the presence of the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande Wisdom, and the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Mr. Tope Fasua, whose contributions enriched the conversation.
My appreciation goes to our distinguished panellists, partners, and everyone who joined us for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on how we can deploy capital more effectively to advance Nigeria’s inclusive and sustainable industrial development.
On the sidelines of #UNGA81, I joined leaders, investors, and development partners at Sub-Saharan Africa Day in New York to discuss a question that matters deeply to me: how do we get more capital working for African businesses?
I shared our experience at @boinigeria through the iDICE Programme and highlighted why public capital, development finance, and private investment must work together to help promising businesses move from potential to scale.
For me, it always comes back to the same thing: behind every number is a business, a founder, and people whose livelihoods depend on that business succeeding.
Always good to have conversations about how we can do more.
A few weeks ago, I welcomed Ebisan Akisanya, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of @Wimbiz , and her team to @boinigeria. We spoke about supporting more women to build sustainable businesses, create jobs and grow, and how we can continue to strengthen the impact of our GLOW programme.
Our conversation was also enriched by insights from WIMBIZ’s latest report, which Ebisan was kind enough to share with me during the visit.
Thank you, Ebisan and the WIMBIZ team, for your visit.
Grateful to Dr Ogho Okiti, CEO of ThinkBusiness Africa and Founder of the Africa Business Convention, for the Africa Business Champion recognition and the acknowledgement of the work we continue to do at the @boinigeria.
It is always encouraging to have our commitment to excellence recognised, particularly as we work to help Nigeria businesses grow, create jobs and contribute to a stronger economy.
Thank you for the recognition.
Yesterday, I was deeply honoured to receive the National Development Award from the Daily Times Nigeria as one of the 100 individuals recognised among its 100 Heroes of National Development.
The recognition, presented as part of the Daily Times’ centenary celebrations, is a humbling acknowledgement of the importance of purposeful leadership and our collective efforts at the Bank of Industry to contribute to Nigeria’s development.
I congratulate the Daily Times on 100 years of journalism and national service, and thank them for this honour.
The work continues.
The 66th Annual General Meeting offered an important moment to reflect on the Bank of Industry’s journey, our progress, and the responsibility we carry to deliver even greater impact.
As we look ahead, our focus remains clear: strengthening Nigerian businesses, expanding access to finance and supporting the industrial growth our country needs.
There is much more to do, and we remain committed to the work.
I am deeply honoured to receive the National Development Award from the Times Heroes Awards, presented by Mr. Fidelis Anosike, Chairman of Folio Media & Publisher of The Daily Times.
The recognition, presented as part of The Daily Times’ centenary celebration, is a humbling acknowledgement of the importance of purposeful leadership and our collective efforts at the Bank of Industry to contribute to Nigeria’s development.
I congratulate The Daily Times on 100 years of journalism and national service, and thank them for this honour.
I had a productive engagement with Mrs. Yemisi Edun, MD/CEO of FCMB, to discuss how stronger collaboration can better support Nigerian businesses.
We exchanged views on the evolving financing landscape, including bank guarantees, disbursement efficiency, and broader access to finance, and how partnerships can help drive sustainable economic growth.
Recognition is most meaningful when it reflects a commitment to developing people.
I was honored to accept the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Approved Employer and Professional Development recognition on behalf of The Bank Of Industry during the courtesy visit of Mr. Tom Isibor, Country Director of ACCA Nigeria.
This recognition reflects our commitment to investing in our people because we know that strong institutions are built by exceptional talent.
As we continue to support Nigerian businesses and drive industrial development, we remain focused on building a workforce equipped to create lasting impact.
My appreciation to ACCA for this recognition and to every member of the BOl team whose dedication makes achievements like this possible.
#BankOfIndustry #Impact #acca
I had the honour of welcoming industry leaders, policymakers and development partners to the 6th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the Association of Nigerian Development Finance Institutions (ANDFI).
The conversations centred on a critical question: how do we unlock more domestic capital to finance Nigeria's development ambitions?
Development finance institutions have an important responsibility to bridge the gap between policy and enterprise by mobilising long-term capital, expanding access to finance and supporting investments that create lasting economic impact. The ideas shared throughout the conference reaffirmed that stronger collaboration will be essential to achieving these goals.
I am grateful to the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, @taiwoyedele Professor Taiwo Oyedele, my colleagues across the development finance ecosystem, our partners and every participant whose contributions made this gathering both timely and impactful. I look forward to translating these conversations into meaningful action.
#ANDFI #DevelopmentFinance
#DomesticCapital #BOI
I was pleased to receive the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, on a courtesy visit.
We had a productive discussion on the opportunities presented by the NIMC Act 2026 and how closer collaboration between NIMC and the Bank of Industry can create a more enabling environment for Nigerian businesses. By leveraging digital identity, we can help improve access to finance, strengthen enterprise development, and support the growth of industries that drive our economy.
I look forward to translating these conversations into meaningful impact for businesses across Nigeria.
Nigeria's cocoa story should not end at the farm gate.
Real value lies in processing, manufacturing and building globally recognised brands. That was the focus of my remarks at the Cocoa Value Addition Summit, attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, CON, representing the President; the Federal Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; the Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh; the Honourable and other distinguished guests.
Swipe through for the key takeaways.
#CocoaValueAdditionSummit #FromBeanToBrand #BankOfIndustry #Agribusiness #ValueCreation
