Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, CON, OFR
ChairmanHe is a Nigerian economist and banker. He is currently the CEO of SUSMAN & Associates, an economic, financial and management consulting firm headquartered in Nigeria.
Dr. Usman was the Minister of National Planning of Nigeria (January 2009 to September 2013) and Finance Minister of Nigeria (June 2007 to January 2009). Dr. Usman has had a varied working experience, including serving as MD/CEO, NAL Merchant Bank and Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria. He was appointed a Director of the Company on 9th of March, 2015.
Dr. ‘Biodun Adedipe, Ph.D. Economics
DirectorDr. ‘Biodun Adedipe, accomplished trainer in the Nigerian Banking & finance industry and in non-financial organizations, is a highly sought-after analyst and has been a commentator on government budgets and economic policies for about 30 years. He is a member of several professional bodies and associations, including: The Nigeria Economic Society (Life Member); Nigeria Institute of Management (Chartered, Member); American Economic Association; Institute of Directors, Nigeria; The Institute of Management Consultants (Fellow); Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (Honorary Fellow); and Association of Risk Management Professionals (Honorary Fellow and Risk Management Ambassador).
In addition to a B.Sc. in Economics (First Class) and a Ph.D. in Economics (where he specialized in Corporate Finance), he has over 40 years of post-graduate work experience under his belt, including: University teaching and research (University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos); Private consulting (Enterprise Consulting Group Limited, Ikeja, Lagos); World Bank Mission (Nigeria, Africa Region); Investment/Merchant Banking (IMB Bank Plc and First City Monument Bank Plc); and Financial/Management Consulting (B. Adedipe Associates Limited).
He served on the Presidential Committee of Experts on the Redenomination of the Naira in November 2008, as well as on a Federal Government Committee of Experts to review and advice on the persistent problem of bloated Recurrent Expenditure during October 2010 to March 2011. He was the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Financial Sector Development), deployed to serve in the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President during March to May 2011. Under the auspices of ENABLE (funded by DFID) in January 2013, he facilitated for the Shared Services Office of the Central Bank of Nigeria and drove the workshop to review the outcome of the implementation of the Cash-less Policy Pilot (Lagos) in readiness for the next phase of implementation in five States of the Federation.
He served in various capacities at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group since 1999, including as: Rapporteur and Consultant to the Trade and Investment Policy Commission (1999-2015); Facilitator, SME, Financial Inclusion and Financial Markets (established August 2015); Member, Technical Sub-Committee (NES#15 2009 – NES#17 2011); Member and Vice-Chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee (NES#18 2012); Member and 1st Vice-Chairman of the Central Organizing Committee, COC (NES#19 2013); Member COC and Chairman of the Editorial Sub-Committee (NES#16 2010 to NES#20 2014); and two-time Chairman of the Central Organizing Committee, COC (NES#21 2015 and NES#22 2016).
He served and still serves in several capacities at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), including as: Member, Strategic Planning Committee, 1994 to 2010; Member, Technical Committee on Review and Presentation to the National Assembly on the Draft Bill on the Institute, March 2006; Chairman, Strategic Planning Monitoring Sub-Committee, 2006 -2008; Member, Programme Sub-Committee of the 2017 World Conference of Banking Institutes, January 2015; Member, Research & Strategic Planning Committee, 2010 – 2012; and Chairman, Research Committee, 2020-2022.
He is involved in strengthening the strategy and strategic management process in several Nigerian banks, non-financial businesses and not-for-profit organizations. He consults and facilitates for the Central Bank of Nigeria in major policy issues and new directions, including as Team Leader for Credit Market in the Financial Sector Strategy 2020 (FSS 2020) that evolved into the Nigerian Vision 20:2020.
He founded B. Adedipe Associates Limited (a firm of management and financial consultants) in February 1993, which commenced operations in March 1994 and he has been its Chief Consultant till date.
Akeem Lawal
DirectorMr. Akeem Lawal, a pioneering member of the Interswitch management team, is the current Divisional Chief Executive officer of Payments Infrastructure and Processing for the Interswitch Group, Africa’s leading switching and payments processing company. Since its inception, he has applied his aptitude at spotting business opportunities and executing with minimal time-to-market in various roles at the Interswitch Group, which include the following, in addition to his current role: Group Head of Service Delivery, Chief Technology and Operation Officer, and Divisional Chief Executive Officer of Transaction Processing and Enablement.
He holds a B.Sc. in Electrical/Electronics Engineering (First Class, with Honours) from the University of Benin and an MBA from the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University. He has attended several local and international seminars in Project Management, Electronic Funds Transfer, Transaction Processing, and Electronic Point-Of-Sale Info commerce. He has over 27 years of experience in the implementation and management of projects in the Financial Services sector, Information and Communications Technology, and the Oil and Gas industry. He is responsible for some of the most outstanding innovations driving the Nigerian payments industry.
He is an Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow of the African Leadership Institute, an Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), and a Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In addition to a deep insight into the opportunities in Africa and his knowledge of the payments business, he is an enthusiast of the intelligent use of technology for the transformation of Africa, and he remains a firm believer in the Nigerian entrepreneurial spirit.
Olufunke Aiyepola (Mrs)
Managing Director/CEShe is the MD/CE of UTL Trust Management Services Limited. She studied Law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School. She holds an MBA from the Pan African University. She has thirty (30) years of Banking/Trusteeship experience, having worked in the Legal Department of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and as Head of Trust services, Union Trustees Ltd.
She was a Director of UBN Insurance Brokers Limited, EX OFFICIO of the Association of Corporate Trustees and is a Council Member of the Association of Investment Advisers and Portfolio Managers.