The year 2021 will go down in history as the year Nigerian women, more than ever before, registered their presence at the top of banks, heading no less than six of them, and taking various other key boardroom positions.
This comeuppance by the women was registered not only in banks, but elsewhere in the corporate world where they sit at the top of corporate organisations and their boards.
Until these appointments, women, according to research, held less than 30 percent boardroom positions in banks and in the bank’s management teams.
Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe
Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe became the managing director/chief executive officer of Fidelity Bank on January 1, 2021. She is the first female to occupy the position since the bank’s inception in 1988.
She joined the bank in 2015 and is the former executive director for Lagos and south-west directorate, overseeing the bank’s business in the six states that make up the southwest region of the bank.
Onyeali-Ikpe holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Master of Law(LLM) degree from King’s College, London. She has attended executive training programmes at global institutions including Harvard Business School, Wharton School University of Pennsylvania, INSEAD School of Business, Chicago Booth School of Business and London Business School.
Miriam Olusanya
Miriam Olusanya was appointed managing director of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) on July 14, 2021, becoming the bank’s first female boss in its 31-year history.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Ibadan and a Master of Business Administration (MBA), majoring in finance and accounting from the University of Liverpool.
Yemisi Edun
Yemisi Edun made history on July 13, 2021, when she became the first female managing director of First City Monument Bank Limited (FCMB), following the approval of her appointment by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife and a masters degree in international accounting and finance from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Halima Buba
Halima Buba, the MD/CEO of SunTrust Bank, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Maiduguri and MBA from the same university.
She is also an alumnus of the Lagos Business School’s senior management programme.
Buba is a senior honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants and also a member of the board of several institutions, including those of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) as a Non-Executive Director and Anchoria Asset Management Company Limited.
Elohor Aiboni
In August 2021, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) appointed and unveiled Elohor Aiboni as its first female Managing Director.
She made history as the first woman to take over the reins of leadership of one of its Shell’s companies it its over 60-year history.
Before her appointment, Aiboni was the company’s first Bonga Asset Operations Manager.
With over 13 years’ experience in the Oil and Gas sector, she had worked on Project to Asset Handover, Operations of Oil and Gas facilities with HSE, cross-discipline, cross-functional units and multi-operating unit exposure with great interpersonal skills.
Kafilat Araoye
Kafilat Araoye is the managing director of Lotus Bank, a financial institution which was granted a non-interest banking licence by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in June 2021.
The bank describes itself as a non-interest Nigerian bank deeply rooted in ethical banking and committed to deepening financial inclusion and broadening the array of non-interest products available to the banked, unbanked, and under-banked population.
With over 25 years commercial banking experience, Araoye has expertise in virtually all areas of core banking, with emphasis on international and domestic operations, payments, general management, business development, risk management, human resources and strategy.
Bukola Smith
Bukola Smith was appointed as the managing director of First Securities Discount House Limited (FSDH) Merchant Bank in April 2021.
She holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Lagos, and also holds an MBA from Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
