Board of Trustees

Yemi Adeola, is a notable business leader with multiple awards to his name and a mentor to many through his visible achievements.

Adeola’s tertiary education was at Obafemi Awolowo University where he graduated with a law degree in 1982. In 1983, he was called to the Nigerian Bar. He later went to the University of Lagos where he enrolled as a postgraduate student for a Law degree and specialized in the Law of Secured Credit, Comparative Company Law, and International Economic Law.
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.

Born in Kano State, Bashir Borodo had his academic training at Victory College Maadi, Cairo, Egypt; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Dalhousie University Halifax, Canada; Queen’s University; Kingston, Ontario, Canada and University De Besancon, Besancon France.

His working career spans the length and breadth of the public and private sectors amongst which include Bank of the North Limited; Teaching Assistant, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Ministry of External Affairs; Embassy of Nigeria, Washington DC. USA, Nigerian Sugar products Limited; Chairman, Tropical Commercial Bank Plc; Managing Director, A.N.C.C. Limited; Managing Director, Borodo & Co. Nigeria Limited, Kano.

Alhaji Borodo was President, Nigerian Economic Society, Kano Chapter and President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria; and is currently the President, Egyptian Universities Alumni Association in Nigeria.

A winner of many awards amongst which include Kano State Government Scholarship, Ahmadu Bello University (postgraduate); Skelton-Clark Fellowship, Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada as well as Member of the Federal Republic, (MFR).

Mr. Ben Ifeanyi Akabueze is a distinguished banker, accountant, economist, and administrator. He holds a first-class B.Sc. degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos and is an Alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School.

He was awarded the JF Kennedy Scholar award, National Merit Scholarship for academic excellence (1980 – 82). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Fellow Institute of Credit Administrators (FCA) and an Honorary Member, Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN).

Mr. Akabueze has worked with a number of organizations among which are the Nigerian Television Authority, (NTA), Maiduguri, Pricewaterhouse (Chartered Accountants), Nigerian International Bank Limited (Citibank Nigeria), Fidelity Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc. He rose to the apex position of Managing Director/CEO of NAL Bank PLC in 2000 and later as executive Director at Sterling Bank Plc in 2006 before he was appointed Honourable Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget, Lagos State from 2007 to 2015. He is currently the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Omolara Akanji holds a B.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan, an M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Reading, a Diploma in Statistics from the University of Kent, Mathematical Institute, and a Ph.D. Finance from the European-American University, Commonwealth of Dominica.

Her early career started with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 1978 as an Assistant Economist. She rose through the ranks and retired in December 2007 as Director, Trade and Exchange Department. She also served as a Consultant to the CBN between 2008 and 2011.
She is an alumnus of Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) of Monetary Policy and Management.

Abubakar, fondly called Abu, is the Chief Executive Officer at Sterling Bank Plc and has carved a niche for himself in the fiercely competitive financial services landscape. He started his career at MBC International Bank (now consolidated into First Bank Plc) before joining Citibank Nigeria two years later. Abu joined the turnaround team of Trust Bank of Africa Limited, which later consolidated into Sterling Bank Plc.

At Sterling Bank, he served in senior leadership roles that include Interim CEO of Equitorial Trust Bank Limited (ETB) and Integration Director (responsible for the integration of ETB into Sterling Bank), Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director before his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in April 2018.

Abu holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Abuja and an M.Sc. in Major Programmes Management from the University of Oxford. He is also an alumnus of Arthur Andersen (KPMG Nigeria), Wharton School and INSEAD Business School in addition to executive education from Harvard and Saïd Business Schools.