100WF Nigeria Committee Members with Amanda Pullinger, CEO, 100WF and Sola David Borha, keynote speaker at 100WF Nigeria’s launch event in April 2023
Pictured from left to right: Aderonke Adetoro, Saratu Kitchener, Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, Nieros Oyegun Soerensen, Amanda Pullinger, Sola David-Borha, Tariye Gbadegesin, Taiwo Okwor, Yemi Okojie, Olivia Gao
The following committee members are not in the photo: Dr Markie Idowu, Mercy Imonighavwe, Abim Meshinoye, Tumi Sekoni
Tariye Gbadegesin and Yemi Okojie are the new co-chairs of the 100 Women in Finance Nigeria committee, and Saratu Kitchener is the vice-chair. Nigeria is 100WF’s 32nd global location and the Nigeria committee is planning a series of events for the coming months. These accomplished professionals bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their roles, and we are confident that they and the committee will lead our initiatives with dedication and innovation. We’re thrilled to have such talented individuals on board to help us drive positive change in the finance industry and beyond. Stay tuned for updates from our Nigerian location through the 100WF Nigeria web page!
Tariye Gbadegesin
Chief Executive Officer of ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment Ltd.
Tariye Gbadegesin is the chief executive officer of ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment Ltd., a leading West Africa-focused private equity infrastructure fund that is a joint venture between Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited (ARM), Nigeria’s largest nonbank financial services provider, and Harith General Partners, a leading Pan-African infrastructure fund manager based in South Africa. ARM-Harith manages capital from the African pension fund sector and international capital from development finance institutions and family offices. The fund invests in sustainable infrastructure with a strong emphasis on ESG and climate action. An investment professional with over 20 years’ experience in finance, principal investments, and infrastructure, Tariye has global experience spanning roles at the Africa Finance Corporation, the International Monetary Fund, the Boston Consulting Group, & PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Tariye is the co-chair of the steering committee for the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative launched by the UK government and the Children’s International Investment Fund and is also a member of the African Advisory Committee of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero. Tariye is a member of the Advisory Committee on Infrastructure for the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investing and is a board member of the African Infrastructure Developers Association. Tariye is also a nonexecutive director for Guinness Nigeria Plc, which is a member of the Diageo Group and a publicly listed company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Tariye holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Amherst College and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Yemi Okojie
Head, Strategy and Corporate Development of FBN Holdings Plc
Yemi Okojie is the head of strategy and corporate development at FBN Holdings Plc, a diversified financial holding company listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX) and parent company of First Bank of Nigeria Limited.
Yemi is a versatile business executive with over 20 years’ experience in business transformation and corporate strategy across multiple sectors and continents. In her current role, she is responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation monitoring of the multiyear Strategic Planning Programme for the Group Holding Company and its subsidiaries in banking and investment management. Her role includes planning and managing the board’s annual strategy retreat and driving key group-wide initiatives on innovation and revenue and cost synergies.
Prior to this, Yemi headed the Department of Strategy and Business Transformation at Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Plc, a conglomerate listed on the NGX. In this role, she led strategy development and planning for Transcorp’s subsidiary companies. Yemi also led key business improvement and growth initiatives such as the bid development and subsequent acquisition of the 972 MW Ughelli power plant as well as the successful establishment of a first-of-its-kind juice concentrate production plant in Nigeria.
Yemi’s international career also includes experience in multiple organizations across three continents, including strategy at United Bank for Africa and Heirs Holdings, Nigeria; strategy consulting at Accenture, USA; transformation consulting at Capgemini Ernst & Young (now Capgemini), UK and USA; and equities sales and trading at Goldman Sachs, UK.
Yemi graduated with a first-class degree in mechanical engineering from Brunel University, London, and has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in finance, strategy, and general management.
Saratu Kitchener
Special Projects Officer & Senior Strategy Associate, AFC
Saratu Kitchener is Special Projects Officer and Senior Strategy Associate within the Office of the CEO at the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).
Prior to AFC, Saratu was an associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, where she represented sovereigns, international corporations and investment banking clients on a variety of strategic capital raising, cross-border M&A and corporate finance transactions.
Saratu is admitted to the New York State bar, and holds a Master of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Laws from the London School of Economics.