Leadership &
Governance

Olusegun Aganga, CON, is a Chartered Accountant with over four decades of experience spanning global financial services, investment banking, asset management, and public sector leadership. He previously served as a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in London, following earlier senior leadership roles at Ernst & Young, London, where he led the firm’s hedge fund practice and was recognized as a subject-matter expert across Europe.

Mr. Aganga has extensive experience across investment banking, investment advisory, traditional and alternative asset management, insurance, oil and gas, manufacturing, and infrastructure, bringing deep insight into capital allocation, risk management, and institutional governance. In public service, he served as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and later as Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, where he played a central role in landmark economic and capital markets initiatives, including the establishment of Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, the issuance of the country’s first Eurobond, and major investment and infrastructure programmes. He also served as Chairman of the World Bank and IMF Boards of Governors and chaired the 8th WTO Ministerial Conference, becoming the first African to do so.

Mr. Aganga is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most influential voices on investment and economic development. In recognition of his service, he was awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is the founder of the Nigerian Leadership Initiative (NLI) and holds academic degrees from the University of Ibadan and Oxford University.

Yemi Akiolu is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aithnastone. He is a seasoned finance professional with over 15 years of experience spanning investment banking, private capital advisory, fund finance, and financial institutions risk & governance.

Prior to founding Aithnastone, Yemi held senior roles at leading global financial institutions including Standard Chartered Bank and Barclays in New York, where he advised top-tier financial sponsors, asset managers, & corporates. At Standard Chartered, he served as Director, Leveraged & Acquisition Finance, executing and structuring over $20 billion in financing transactions across leveraged buyouts, fund finance, NAV and hybrid facilities, and private capital solutions. He also played a pivotal role in expanding the bank’s US sponsor coverage and originating new product verticals, including lender finance for private debt funds.

Earlier in his career, Yemi worked at Ernst & Young across Nigeria and the United States, advising banks, financial holding companies, development finance institutions, and regulators on financial reporting, risk management, capital adequacy, and cost optimisation. His experience includes advising systemically important banks, supporting Eurobond issuances, and delivering large-scale transformation and recovery planning projects. Yemi holds an MBA from IE Business School (Madrid) with a concentration in Finance and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting & Finance from De Montfort University (UK). He is a Chartered Accountant (ICAN, FCCA) and brings deep international exposure across Africa, the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom. In addition to his professional work, he has advised on public-sector initiatives backed by the World Bank and DFID and has held leadership roles in diversity and inclusion initiatives within global financial institutions. At Aithnastone, Yemi leverages his institutional experience, transaction expertise, and cross-border perspective to help governments, corporates, and investors structure capital, unlock asset value, and build sustainable, long-term investment platforms.

Idara Otu is a senior global finance executive, former Olympian, entrepreneur, author, and social impact leader with extensive experience spanning investment banking, global markets, strategic operations, and alternative asset management. She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer, Financial Institutions Group (FIG) & Strategy at Apollo Global Management, where she plays a senior leadership role overseeing strategic, operational, and growth initiatives for one of the firm’s core investment platforms focused on financial services solutions.

Ms. Otu began her career in global finance as a research analyst at Goldman Sachs, later working as a commodities trader at J.P. Morgan, and subsequently held Sales & Trading and Strategic Advisory roles at Barclays. She also contributed to the COO function at Credit Suisse’s Global Securities Research, gaining broad exposure to investment banking, markets, and institutional strategy across leading global financial institutions. Before her senior corporate career, Ms. Otu was a standout track and field athlete and represented Nigeria in the 4×400m relay at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ms. Otu is deeply committed to education, women’s leadership, and youth development. She is the founder of Let Girls Read, Run, Grow (LGRRG), a U.S.–based nonprofit advancing educational access and leadership development for girls across Africa, and is leading the development of a girls’ primary school in Nigeria. She also founded NŌK CHOC, a premium consumer brand rooted in Nigerian heritage that supports education initiatives.

Dr. Umar Khalifa Mohammed, mni, is a seasoned technocrat and senior executive with over 25 years of experience spanning the public and private sectors in Nigeria and internationally. He brings deep expertise in corporate governance, public policy, financial services regulation, technology management, and stakeholder engagement.

Dr. Khalifa currently serves as a Board Member of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), where he chairs the Technical Committee and serves as Acting Chairman of the Establishment Committee, following his appointment by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in 2024.

An alumnus of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), he is the National Secretary General of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI). He has held senior executive and leadership roles across academia, utilities, technology, and private enterprise, including senior management positions at Baze University, Abuja, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), and as MD/CEO of Gano Group of Companies Limited.He also previously worked in various professional IT consulting roles in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Khalifa holds a BSc in Information Technology and an MSc in International Management from the University of the West of England, Bristol, and a PhD in International Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). He has completed executive education programmes at Harvard Business School and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, among others.

Ifeoma Dike is a seasoned sustainability and ESG executive with over 15 years of experience leading ESG risk management, sustainability integration, and impact strategy across emerging markets. She is widely recognized for designing and implementing ESG frameworks that enhance long-term value creation, strengthen risk management, and align commercial performance with sustainable outcomes across both public and private sector organizations.

She currently serves as Chief Sustainability Officer at CrossBoundary Energy, where she leads ESG strategy and execution for a renewable energy investment portfolio valued at over US$680 million, spanning 10 countries across Africa and Australia. In this role, she has been instrumental in embedding ESG considerations into investment decision-making, project development, and operational practices, ensuring regulatory alignment, resilience, and long-term stakeholder value. Prior to CrossBoundary Energy, Ifeoma held senior leadership roles including ESG Manager at African Capital Alliance (ACA), a leading pan-African private equity firm, where she led ESG integration across investment processes and portfolio companies. She also served as Regional Director, West Africa at EBS Advisory, advising development finance institutions, private equity funds, and corporates on embedding sustainability principles.

Ifeoma holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Nottingham. She brings to Aithnastone’s Board deep expertise in ESG governance, risk oversight, and sustainable investment strategy, supporting the firm’s long-term institutional and regulatory objectives into strategy and operations.