Our teams
Board of directors
Our directors give the bank a dual advantage: they are seasoned professionals and accomplished financial service experts with an exceptional wealth of experience. Over the years they have provided direction, strength and vision to help Baobab Nigeria achieve its strategic goals and objective.
ROTIMI OYEKANMI – Board Chairman
Rotimi Olayiwola Oyekanmi is a seasoned financial expert with 36+ years in the financial sector. He is a Fellow and Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, and has held leadership positions in many international companies, such as Apis Partners LLP, Renaissance Group and Ecobank Transnational.
ROTIMI
OYEKANMI
Board Chairman
PHILIP SIGWART – CEO Baobab Group
Philip Sigwart is currently the CEO of Baobab Group. He has been actively involved in the top level of finance institutions for over 25 years. He has served in various capacities, ranging from Chief Operating Officer to Chief Executive Officer in reputable institutions such as Equity Bank, ProCredit and Credit Suisse, to mention but a few. He has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree and a Master's degree in Economics. He also has a Master’s degree in International Management.
PHILIP
SIGWART
CEO Baobab Group
ERIC NTUMBA – AG CEO Baobab Nigeria
Eric Ntumba is a seasoned banking professional with a wealth of experience in the industry. He has held senior positions at renowned institutions such as Equity Bank, Procredit Bank, BCDC, and Citigroup.
His outstanding achievements have earned him recognition in the Choiseul Africa 100 ranking and as an alumnus of the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders and Africa-French Young Leaders programs. He is also a distinguished Mandela-Washington Fellow.
Eric is also an award-winning novelist and holds an MPA from the French National School of Administration (ENA).
ERIC
NTUMBA
AG CEO Baobab Nigeria
BARTHOLOMEW KWAME AHADZI – Independent Director
With core competence in rational strategic planning and execution, especially in turnaround situations, Bartholomew Kwame Ahadzi is a highly passionate, diligent and motivated personality, with over 30 years’ experience in finance and the financial services sector. He has a hands-on, person-centered approach to management/leadership, which has led to a fast-track career progression in positions of increasing responsibility in finance and banking. He also has a commitment to providing an atmosphere of exceptional employee morale and customer service through team building efforts.
BARTHOLOMEW KWAME AHADZI
Independent Director
FREDERIC FLEJOU– Independent Director
Frédéric Flejou has key competencies in the development and management of international businesses, mainly in emerging markets, through inorganic growth, which goes from defining the strategy, putting in place the teams and structure to support it to the implementation and supervision. He has 29+ years of related experience and is a Chartered accountant and Memorialist e-DPECF, DPECF et DESCF.
FREDERIC
FLEJOU
Independent Director
TOKUNBOH ISHMAEL – Non-Executive Director
Tokunboh Ishmael is a non Executive Director of Baobab Nigeria, representing Alitheia (Goodwell). She has over 20 years experience spanning investment banking, private equity investing, technology and new business development in the USA, Europe and Africa. As a Country Partner at Aureos Capital Nigeria, she successfully raised capital to complete a $50m fundraising for the Aureos West Africa Fund. She also acted as the Fund Manager of a technology focused venture capital fund (Sussex Place Ventures). Tokunboh is an alumnus of London Business School, and the University of London. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Institute; Yale World Fellow; a member of the boards of several commercial banks and Fintech companies.
TOKUNBOH
ISHMAEL
Non-Executive Director
CHRISTINA REIFSCHNEIDER -Non Executive Director
IFRS, Risk management/MaRisk, Financial expert in audit committees, International experience, Supervisory Board member. She worked in some notable organizations such as I.D. Inspiring Development, ProCredit Bank (Bulgaria), ProCredit Holding AG & Co KGaA, Banco ProCredit Mozambique etc. She became a member of the Board of Directors of Baobab Microfinance Bank in December, 2020.
CHRISTINA
REIFSCHNEIDER
Non-Executive Director
Cecile Chahid-Nourai Clerc – Board Member
Cécile is an expert in banking operations: After starting her career in New York as a financial analyst, Cécile joined Mastercard in Product Management.
For 16 years, she held various management positions at Société Générale, including Director of Payment Operations.
In 2017, Cécile joined Ditto Bank as COO and then as General Secretary. In 2019, Cécile became COO of Treezor, a leading "Banking as a Service" platform serving more than 100 European FinTechs in the B2B and B2C markets. Cécile has been Chief Operating Officer of Baobab Group since June 2022.
Cecile
CHAHID-NOURAI CLERC
Board Member
YEMI ADEOLA – Board Chairman
Yemi Adeola, is a notable Nigerian banker with multiple awards to his name. He graduated Obafemi Awolowo University where he earned a law degree in 1982. In 1983, he was called to the Nigerian Bar. He bagged a postgraduate Law degree and specialized in the Law of Secured Credit, Comparative Company Law and International Economic Law from the University of Lagos. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and has undertaken senior management/executive education programmes covering various business areas. He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, Stanford Business School, Said Business School of the University of Oxford, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a John F. Kennedy Scholar. He has over 25 years of experience spanning banking and finance, law, corporate consulting and academia. Mr. Adeola commenced his banking career with Citibank in 1988 then he joined Trust Bank of Africa Limited 2003, serving as the Deputy Managing Director between 2003 and 2005. Before the bank's consolidation of TBA into Sterling Bank in December 2005 he became the MD/CEO of Sterling Bank in 2007 a position he held till 2018.
YEMI
ADEOLA
Board Chairman
Management team
The team is made up of seasoned individuals and professionals passionate in delivering unprecedented results to staff, value to our customers and communities we serve. Our success story is based on the exceptional leadership quality and vision of our management team in service delivering of financial solutions to our stakeholders.
Jonas NYAYE – Chief Operating Officer
Jonas holds a master's degree in business administration and is a certified accountant. His experience spans across (banking operations, Treasury operations, Finance, risk management, asset, and liability management, business strategy, and development finance, as well as the executive management level. He started his career as a Loan Officer at ProCredit Savings and Loans, where he grew to become Deputy Head of Finance. With extensive experience across multiple African markets, Jonas Nyaye is a great addition to Baobab Nigeria
Jonas NYAYE
Chief Operating Officer
Babatunde BARUWA - Chief Innovation and Digital Officer
Fatai began his career in the US military, developing applications and performing military research and analysis that improved administrative and tactical efficiency. He became a Consultant in New York, USA. He has served in various capacities as a Director of Information Systems, Head, Strategy & Business Transformation, Information Technology and Product Innovation, Group Head, Card Products/Projects and Alliance Management; Head, Cash Management – Transaction Banking; Group Head, Digital & Payment Solution (Banking) and Bank Head, North Bank responsible for sales and distribution (Banking)
Babatunde
BARUWA
Chief Innovation & Digital Officer
John UGWUANYA – Head Corporate Service
He joined Baobab Nigeria in October 2011 as an Accounts Officer and rose to become the Head of Accounts department. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Banking and Finance all from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Nigeria(ICAN) and a graduate member of Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) he is also a graduate member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria (CIBN) with a Microfinance Certification. He has worked as a Senior Auditor with Abdulkadeer & Co. a chartered Accounting firm in Kaduna. In addition, John has successfully undergone training in International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) conversion. His wealth of experience has been tapped by Baobab Nigeria since his joining in 2011.
Currently, he is the head of corporate services overseeing three departments - Admin, Facility and Security.
John
UGWUANYA
Head Corporate Service
Adewale SANYA - Chief Financial Officer
A consummate Chartered Accountant and result-oriented professional with over two (2) decades of outstanding track records of excellence in financial reporting & control, financial analysis & modelling, strategic planning & budgeting, tax management & planning, treasury & cash flow Management, working capital management, audit & compliance and performance management, offering significant management experience gained in local and world class financial and large corporate institutions. An excellent team player with strong leadership qualities, analytical and communication skills, ready to face challenging tasks.
Adewale
SANYA
Chief Financial Officer
Gabriel GODWIN – Head of Operations
Godwin is a Certified Microfinance Banker with over 10 years working experience. He is one of the pioneer employees of Baobab Nigeria (formerly Microcred Nigeria). He started his career in Baobab as a Portfolio Manager, grew to a Branch Supervisor, Branch Manager and then Regional Manager. He handled the Kaduna region effectively and in view of his exceptional performance was relocated to Lagos in May 2018 to oversee the difficult branches which have in turn had tremendous growth since his arrival. He is an awesome team player, focused and result oriented.
Gabriel
GODWIN
Deputy Chief Client Officer
Cadet PIERRE – Chief Client Officer
Pierre joined Baobab Nigeria in January 2016 as an Operations Expert having worked with FINCA International and ACME S.A back in his native land of Haiti. Both organizations are saddled with the responsibility of providing financial services to small, and medium scale enterprises. While at FINCA International he served as the SME Credit Manager with a wonderful track record of accomplishment to show. While at ACME S.A he served in the capacity of Regional Director of the organization before joining Baobab Nigeria. Pierre Cadet holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the prestigious INAGHEI, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he also has several certifications ranging from Management Arts, Operational Risk Management, Portfolio Supervision and Measuring and Controlling Outstanding Payment to mention a few. He has been in the sector since 2002
Cadet
PIERRE
Chief Client Officer
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Oladapo IKUPOLATI - Chief Business Officer
Prior to joining Baobab, Oladapo was the Chief Business Officer and Deputy CEO of AB Microfinance Bank, Nigeria. He occupied several positions including Financial Controller, Head of Internal Audit, Chief Banking Services Officer, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) within the same institution over a 13-year period.
He brings to bear his cumulative work experience that spans across finance, strategic planning, audit, assets and liability management, business strategy, business process improvement, and digital transformation.He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), a Certified Information System Auditor (CISA) and he holds an MBA from Nexford University, Washington DC, USA.
Oladapo
IKUPOLATI
Chief Business Officer
Agatha Mbanefo has more than twenty (20) years of working experience in Banking. She previously worked at Ecobank Nigeria, Union Bank, and Accion Microfinance Bank. She is a highly versatile and erudite professional with deep knowledge in both HR and Banking.
Agatha joined Baobab Microfinance Bank on September 25, 2023, as the Chief People Officer and will be responsible for the Human Resource Strategy of the Bank.
Agatha is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers UK, has an MBA from Lagos Business School – Pan African University, and a Strategic Human Resource Certificate from Cornell University. She is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management.
Agatha is an excellent trainer with very good communication skills and stakeholder management skills. She has strong organizational expertise and is a promoter of Service Excellence with the ability to influence team dynamics and ensure compliance.
She has expertise in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent within a highly competitive industry. She will be tasked with the responsibility of overhauling the Bank’s strategies for talent management and development.
Agatha
MBANEFO
Chief People Officer
Mayowa IROJAH – Audit Manager
Joined Baobab MFB in October, 2016, has over 10 years in the banking experience industry. He has M.Sc. in Banking and Finance from the University of Ibadan and B.Sc. in Accounting from University of Ado Ekiti. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Banker of Nigeria with Microfinance Certification, also a Member of Nigerian Institute of Management. He is currently pursuing his ACCA certification. He previously worked with Diamond Bank Plc. before joining Fortis Microfinance Bank where he started off as an Internal Control Officer and became Acting Head Audit and Control, SMC/Fortis MFB.
Mayowa
IROJAH
Chief Internal Audit Officer
Babatunde OMOLERE - Chief Risk Officer
Tunde is an alumnus of Enugu State University of Technology Business School with a Masters’ Degree in Business Administration (MBA). A Fellow of Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) and Microfinance Certified Banker of Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN), he has attended several local and international courses in general banking, Internal Control and Risk Management, which include Boulder Institute of Microfinance Bank, Italy and the prestigious Harvard Business School, USA. He has contributed his quota to the development of microfinance industry in Nigeria in collaboration with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and National Association of Microfinance Bank (NAMB). A seasoned banker with over 19 years’ experience in commercial, retail, mortgage and microfinance banking having served in almost all the departments in banking both at junior and senior levels. Very dogged and ready to reach for the stars in his endeavor to achieve personal and corporate goals. A risk professional to the core but with general banking knowledge and distinctive performances.
Prior to joining Baobab Microfinance Bank, he was the Chief Risk Control and Compliance Officer of Edfin Microfinance, Chief Operations Officer of Accion Microfinance Bank and Pioneer Head of Internal Control which later became Risk, Control and Compliance, at other times CFO and CCO in Accion Mfb. Tunde worked with Wema Bank Plc, Global Trust Savings & Loans Ltd and Intercontinental Bank Plc. He also served as Managing Director of Crowned Eagle Microfinance Bank.
Babatunde
OMOLERE
Daniel MOZOBAM - Legal Manager
Daniel is an experienced Legal professional, with 9 years of work experience. He has a Master’s Degree in Law UNN, Enugu Campus:2006, Nigeria Law School:2005, and has been the Corporate Legal Manager of Baobab Microfinance Bank Nigeria Limited since October 2017.
Daniel
MOZOBAM
Legal Manager
Damilare ALABI - Country IT Manager
Over the past ten years, he has brought his expertise to bear in creating technology-driven solutions that meet strategic business needs across various sectors including FMCG, Financial Services, IT servicing and Telecommunication. He is experienced in the area of Deployment and Management of Enterprise IT Infrastructure, Unified Communications Systems, Collaboration platforms, Digital workflows and Systems Integration, Business Process Automation, E-Channels & Financial Technology, Cybersecurity, IT Service Management/Delivery, Data Protection, Cloud Products/platforms, IT Strategies and Transition planning. He is a Certified Microfinance Banker, Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate, ITIL Certified, a professional member of The Chartered Institute for IT (British Computer Society), UK and he is a graduate of Computer Engineering and Statistics. He currently pursues his MBA in University of Suffolk, United Kingdom and he has attended various training in technology and business domains.
Damilare
ALABI
Information Technology Manager
