Dr. Obiora is Deputy Governor (Economic Policy) of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Prior to this, he was an Alternate Executive Director in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC, USA. In this capacity, he was a member of the Executive Board, collectively responsible for conducting the daily operations of the IMF. He also assisted to represent the interests of 23 African Countries, including Nigeria, at the Board. Dr. Obiora has also had stints at the West African Monetary Institute in Accra, Ghana and the Centre for Econometric and Allied Research at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. From October 2011 to May 2014, he simultaneously served as Technical Adviser to Nigeria’s National Economic Management Team as well as Special Assistant to the President Jonathan’s Chief Economic Adviser. Dr. Obiora has a first degree from the University of Benin as well as Masters and Doctorate degrees in Economics from the University of Ibadan.

Emeka Emuwa is former Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank of Nigeria (Union Bank). An accomplished banker with 30 years of experience across Africa, Mr. Emuwa joined Union Bank after a distinguished 25-year career with Citibank. Following several senior roles in Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Tanzania, Ghana, Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Emeka became the first Nigerian to be appointed Country Officer and Managing Director of Citibank in Nigeria; a position he held until he was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank. Mr. Emuwa graduated from the University of Lagos with a degree in Finance and holds an MSc. in Management from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management.

Bolaji Jubril Lawal is the new MD/CEO of Ecobank Nigeria Limited. He has over 28 years deep involvement and experience in Digital and Retail Banking, Corporate and Commercial Banking, Credit Risk Management and Corporate Finance.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Lawal served in different capacities at GT Bank Plc, including as a General Manager and Executive Director, where he led the team that envisioned and implemented GT Bank Plc’s Retail and Digital Banking strategy to achieve industry wide leadership over a ten-year period and introduced new products and solutions that have helped deepen payments and access to digital financial services in Nigeria.

Mr. Lawal holds a Master of Business Administration, University of Oxford, Bachelor of Laws (BL), Nigerian Law School and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from Obafemi Awolowo University.

He was appointed to the AFC Board on 1^st April 2022.

Anastasia Soula Proxenos was appointed as an Independent Director of the Corporation, in the course of the year. Ms. Proxenos has more than 30 years of financial services experience. She has a deep understanding of the capital markets, fundraising, brand-building and real estate. She is an independent non-executive director, consultant, and advisor of several organizations. She has extensive experience as board chair, committee chair (nominations, and compensation committees), committee member (audit and credit) of not for profit as well as commercial boards. Ms. Proxenos was formerly Managing Director of International Housing Solutions (January 2017). She led the effort in founding South African Workforce Housing Fund. As founder, she developed the concept, was responsible for staffing, raising the capital, strategy and government relations. She was co-chair of the investment committee and was with the group for eleven years. Ms. Proxenos holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wits University and an M.B.A. from the University of Stellenbosch.

Mr. Batchi Baldeh is an investment banker, infrastructure developer and utility management specialist, with over 33 years of professional experience across the power value chain and financing capital structure. Mr. Baldeh is currently the Director – Power Systems Development, at the African Development Bank (AfDB), which he joined in May 2017. He is also responsible for the management of the AfDB’s private sector energy loan portfolio. Prior to joining AfDB, Mr. Baldeh was the Director – Power Business, Investments Division, at the Africa Finance Corporation. He has also been a consultant to the World Bank, European Union / BizClim and Government of Lesotho; and was the pioneer Managing Director of Gambia’s National Water and Electricity Company, from 1995 – 1999. He is currently a Non-executive Director of the Development Bank of Nigeria; and served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cabeolica S.A. and Cenpower Operations and Services Limited. Batchi holds an MBA from Boston University (USA) and BSc- Honours in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Newcastle-upon-Tyne University (UK). He is a member of the Institute of Engineering & Technology (UK) and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, Southern Africa.

Ini Ebong is the Executive Director overseeing the Treasury and International Banking business of First Bank of Nigeria Limited (“FirstBank”). His scope of responsibilities encompasses the Treasury business, international banking franchise across Sub Saharan Africa covering six countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Senegal, and Sierra Leone), Custody business servicing local and international clients, the Structured Trade, and Commodity Finance team, amongst others.

Prior to this appointment, he was the Bank’s treasurer, a position he occupied since 2011. Before joining FirstBank, Mr. Ebong was the Head of African Fixed Income and Local Markets Trading, Renaissance Securities Nigeria Limited, the Nigerian registered subsidiary of Renaissance Capital. He also worked in Citigroup for 14 years, having joined the Treasury Group – Sales and Trading and rotated through a wide variety of trading roles across most Treasury products, Asset and Liability management, Treasury sales and marketing, Treasury risk management, until he became Country Treasurer and Sales and Trading Business Head, in June 2003..

Mr. Ebong is a qualified architect and holds a BSc. and MSc in Architecture, obtained in 1990 and 1992 respectively, from the University of Ife, in Nigeria.

Dr. Kevin Amugo holds a PhD in Management from Nasarawa State University, Keffi; MSc Finance, University of Calabar; and BSc Accountancy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is the Director, Financial Policy & Regulation. Kevin joined the Central Bank of Nigeria as a Senior Supervisor in 1990. He excelled across various departments including the Accounts, Banking and Treasury Offices of Enugu Branch; Banking Supervision Department; and the Financial Policy & Regulation Department. He joined Banking Supervision Department in 1995 as an Assistant Manager and rose to the position of Assistant Director. With ease, he formulated and reviewed the Banking Supervision Policy of the apex bank. He was promoted a Deputy Director in August 2010. He was the Project Manager that meticulously coordinated the implementation of IFRS/Basel II in the Nigerian Banking systems in 2012.

Kirstine Damkjaer is the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of EKF Denmark’s Export Credit Agency. Kirstine has a vast global experience having worked for several years at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank in various senior capacities, including as the Global Industry Head of Equity and Chief Investment Officer, Global Infrastructure and Natural Resources, and Global Administrative Manager. She joins the AFC Board with a significant experience sitting on global boards. She currently sits on the boards of Pension Denmark, Danish – Chinese Business Forum, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners New Markets Fund. She is a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and is expected to assume the role of the Chairperson of AFC Audit and Compliance Committee.

Roosevelt Ogbonna is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank PLC. He has over 20 years of experience in banking cutting across treasury, commercial, corporate and investment banking. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, a Senior Executive Fellow of Harvard Kennedy School, an alumnus of Harvard Business School and a CFA charter holder. He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from IMD Business School, an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In 2015, he was selected as one of the Institute of International Finance (IIF) Future Global Leaders. Mr. Ogbonna sits on the board of several institutions including, Access Bank UK Limited, Access Bank (Zambia) Ltd and Central Securities Clearing System PLC.

Until his appointment, Samaila was the CEO of Africapital Management Limited, where he established a joint venture with Old Mutual’s African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) to develop the Nigerian Infrastructure Investment Fund1(NIIF1) for infrastructure private equity across West Africa. Samaila was the pioneer CFO for Dangote Cement Plc, during which he launched Africa’s largest syndicated project finance facility for a local corporate to actualize the Obajana Cement project and managed the watershed unbundling of Dangote Industries Limited to listed subsidiaries on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He has led finance transactions for over US$3 billion covering: green-field project finance facilities, acquisitions, corporate transformation initiatives, privatization and equity capital market transactions. Samaila Zubairu is a distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an accomplished Infrastructure development finance specialist with over 29 years of professional experience.

Sanjeev Gupta was appointed Executive Director, Financial Services at AFC. Prior to joining AFC, he was the Managing Partner in charge of Emerging Markets M&A at Ernst Young Transaction Advisory Services. Sanjeev was also the Chief Executive Officer of Sanlam Investment Management, responsible for Emerging Markets as well as Founder and Managing Partner of Emerging Opportunity Consulting. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Calcutta, India and is also an alumnus of the Said Business School, University of Oxford, England. He is a fellow of the institute of chartered accountants of India (FCA), and a member of the Institute of Investment Analysts of South Africa.

Sameh brings over 27 years’ experience in fundraising and investments in international capital markets, with a focus on the development of infrastructure projects, setting up new platforms and has backed strong management teams. Until his current appointment, He was the former CEO of Zarou, a developer, owner, builder and operator of infrastructure projects in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. During his time at Zarou, Mr. Shenouda raised US$1 billion of funding for Zarou from Blackstone Group, one of the world’s leading private equity investor. Prior to Zarou, he served as Head of Infrastructure (Equity Investments) at CDC Group Plc, the UK’s development finance institution, where he built CDC’s direct infrastructure equity business which, under his leadership, invested in excess of US$2 billion in Africa and South Asia. He has also acted as Natural Gas Industries Director at Orascom Construction Industries and Investment Principal in Actis, a leading US$4.8bn emerging markets private equity fund management business.

Sameh is a graduate of INSEAD and also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Financial Management from the University of Exeter, UK, a Master of Arts degree in Development Studies and a BA honours degree in Economics, the last two qualifications from the American University in Cairo, Egypt.

Ayotunde is the Director & Chief Financial Officer at AFC. Prior to this, he was AFC’s Senior Vice President and Head of Finance & Operations with strategic leadership responsibilities for all finance related activities comprising banking operations, financial reporting and control, product control and settlement. Ayotunde had joined the Corporation as the Vice President and Financial Controller in 2011. Before joining AFC, Ayotunde worked at Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, where he held a number of positions within the Finance group and Internal Audit at national and regional levels. He was the regional Head of Wholesale Banking Finance at Standard Chartered Bank responsible for managing wholesale banking finance activities across West Africa. He has also worked as a consultant for KPMG. Ayotunde is a chartered accountant with more than 15 years post qualifications experience encompassing financial accounting, reporting and control, management accounting, financial risk management, process re-engineering and reviews. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Ayaan brings to AFC, 27 years of visionary leadership and a strong track record in emerging markets investment, asset management, private equity, infrastructure, and climate change related financing products, with a particular focus on African and Asian Markets.

Most recently, Ms. Adam headed the private sector arm of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), established within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Based in South Korea, she played a key role in building the mandate of the GCF Private Sector Facility and rapidly scaling its portfolio to US$ 2.1 billion in three years across Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. She previously was CDC Group’s Managing Director of Africa Funds and had a 17-year career with the International Finance Corporation, serving as a Chief Investment Officer among other roles. US-born and raised in Somalia and Tanzania, Ms. Adam holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, Summa cum laude from Clark University.

Mr. Johnson was promoted to Chief Risk Officer in 2016, after being employed at AFC as Vice President of Market Risk Management for the previous 5 years, during which time he has led a comprehensive review of all major risk management policies. Prior to joining AFC, he spent fifteen years working as a Risk Manager, Trader and Structurer at various international banks including Stanbic IBTC Bank, where he was Regional Head of Market Risk for West Africa and trained local risk managers to a level deemed competent by head office in South Africa; a Fund Derivatives Structurer at Rabobank where he provided structured finance solutions to investors including CPPI and total return swaps and WestLB AG, where he structured and traded structured finance transactions and managed market risks using Value at Risk methodology David holds an MSc in Business Systems Analysis and Design from the City University as well as in Mathematical Trading and Finance from the Cass Business School, both in London, and a BSc (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lagos.

Nana Eshun is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Nana is a finance and infrastructure lawyer with several years experience. While at AFC she has led the Legal Department on investments and borrowings. Prior to joining AFC in 2008, Nana worked for the African Development Bank where she led on the legal aspects of financing of a number of projects including infrastructure (power, roads, heavy industries etc.) and other projects for economic development. She also represented the Ministry of Finance/Government of Ghana as lead finance lawyer primarily on the West African Gas Pipeline Project. Before that, Nana worked as a solicitor with City commercial law firms in the United Kingdom – Denton Wilde Sapte Solicitors and Eversheds Solicitors on Private Finance Initiative Projects.

Nana is a Barrister at Law, admitted to the Ghana Bar in 1987 and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, admitted in 1994. She holds a BA (Law & Sociology) from the University of Ghana, BL (Barristers Law Practicing Certificate) from the Ghana School of Law, Law Society Finals (UK Solicitors Qualifying Course) from the College of Law, Guildford, United Kingdom and an LLM in International Business Law from the University of London.

Patricia is a seasoned people and culture expert, with over two and half decades of visionary leadership in Talent Management & Development, Employee Engagement & Experience, Organization development and culture as well as Operations Management. Her demonstrable track record is evident in the pivotal roles she has held in various organisations and industries spanning over 40 countries across Africa, Middle East, Europe and America.

Prior to taking up her role at the Africa Finance Corporation, Patricia was the Group Head of Human Resources for United Bank for Africa, an international Bank operating in 24 countries, where she played a key role in fostering a diverse, multicultural, and inclusive environment. She has also held the role of Chief Operating Officer for an Oil & Gas firm and an IT Outsourcing firm, where she was instrumental in the expansion programme that saw the company’s growth from a UK-based entity to a Multinational Enterprise with footprint across 18 Countries in Europe.

Patricia holds a Master of Arts degree in Employment Relations and Law from Kingston University, United Kingdom, a Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management from South Bank University, United Kingdom, a Master of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Ibadan and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Benin.

Rita holds a double honours degree (BSc & BA) in Computer Science and Economics from Smith College, Massachusetts, USA. In addition, she holds MA and PhD degrees in Economics from Clark University, Massachusetts, USA. Rita's most recent role was Director & Chief Economist, Sub-Saharan Africa at Barclays Investment Bank, London UK (October 2017 – December 2019). Before that appointment, she was Vice President and Senior Analyst at Moody's Investors Service (September 2014 – September 2017), Senior Economist on secondment at the Bank of England (November 2011 – April 2014), Desk Economist & Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund (April 2003 – November 2011) and a Desk Economist at the World Bank Group (January 2002 – April 2003).

Rita is a global macroeconomist, sovereign credit research analyst and financial markets economist with over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry, international development and policymaking institutions.