MD & CEO at Bank of Industry | Economist | Development Finance Expert
Abuja, Nigeria
Joined September 2025
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A productive first day at the Africa Financial Industry Summit (AFIS) 2026 in Luanda, Angola, connecting with leaders across Africa’s financial ecosystem to explore opportunities for a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable financial future.
For us at @boinigeria, these conversations are important to strengthening partnerships, mobilising capital and unlocking opportunities for businesses to grow and contribute to Africa’s economic transformation.
#AFIS2026 #BankOfIndustry #AfricaFinance #DevelopmentFinance #MSMEFinance #FinancialInclusion #IndustrialGrowth #EconomicDevelopment
Today at the Africa Financial Industry Summit (AFIS) 2026 in Luanda, Angola, I joined Mr. Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to sign a US$50 million senior loan agreement between BOI and IFC.
The facility forms part of IFC’s broader investment package of up to US$100 million to support BOI’s financing operations, expand access to long-term finance for Nigeria’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and strengthen the Bank’s efforts to mobilise capital through the domestic capital market. At least 25% of the loan proceeds will be dedicated to women-owned businesses.
This seven-year facility reinforces our shared commitment to enterprise growth, job creation, gender inclusion and Nigeria’s industrial development.
Mobilising capital. Empowering businesses. Driving inclusive growth.
#BankOfIndustry #IFC #AFIS2026 #MSMEFinance #DevelopmentFinance #Industrialisation
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
