President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointments of Rotimi Akinde and Ifeoma Uz’Okpala to the positions of Executive Director for Corporate Finance and Risk Management and Executive Director for the Large Enterprises Directorate, respectively, at the Bank of Industry (BOI).
The bank spokesperson, Theodora Amechi, announced in a statement made available to newsmen that these appointments are effective immediately.
Akinde brings over 20 years of experience in Investment and Corporate Banking, with a strong background in capital raising, including Debt, Equities, and Hybrids, as well as expertise in Corporate Finance, encompassing Mergers & Acquisitions, Privatization Advisory, and Project Finance.
Prior to his role at the Bank of Industry, he served as an Associate Partner in Project and Corporate Finance at Infrastructure Delivery International (IDI), where he contributed to the UKNIAF programme and advanced green finance initiatives and structured debt solutions for subnational entities.
His previous experience includes serving as the Corporate Finance Advisor at the Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF), where he focused on financing initiatives, modeling, and funding structures for infrastructure projects.
Additionally, he held the position of Group Head and Assistant General Manager for multinationals within Corporate Banking at UBA Plc and was formerly the Vice President of Corporate Finance and advisory at UBA Global Markets, now known as United Capital.
Akinde began his career as an Assistant Manager at Leadbank Plc, working in the Investment and Corporate Banking divisions.
Uz’Okpala has been with BOI since September 2014, initially serving as the Group Head of Large Enterprises Credit and later as the Bank’s Chief Risk Officer before her recent appointment.
In her capacity as the bank’s Chief Risk Officer, Uz’Okpala was instrumental in overseeing and alleviating risks linked to the bank’s operations while also offering support in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risk matters.
She provided essential ESG guidance during transactions and developed a strategic framework for attracting impact investments.
Uz’Okpala is an experienced professional in Credit and Risk Management, boasting a career that spans more than 30 years within the financial industry.
She began her professional journey at the International Merchant Bank and advanced through significant positions at MBC International, First Bank, Stanbic Bank, and UBA.
Her diverse skill set encompasses Internal Audit, Corporate Finance, Credit Evaluation and Origination, Foreign Operations, and Risk Management.