Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes: Defying stereotypes, pioneering women’s inclusion in private equity

The name Adesiwa Rhodes is currently making waves across Nigeria, sparked by a recent viral interview.

Yet, far beyond the privilege of being born into generational wealth, Rhodes has deliberately carved out her own formidable niche in the high-stakes world of private equity. Her investment thesis is built on an area many traditional institutional investors actively avoid, women’s inclusion and the untapped potential of the informal sector.

Her journey is best captured by her favorite quote, a testament to her resilience after spending over eight years successfully raising her first fund: “A river cuts through a rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”

Rhodes is a distinguished investment professional and chief executive with more than 14 years of experience spanning investment banking and private equity across both developed and emerging markets. Her transactional expertise cuts across critical growth sectors, including healthcare, financial services, technology, and consumer goods. She balances multiple demanding roles as an entrepreneur, CEO, mother, investor, and uncompromising advocate for women’s economic empowerment.

Notably, she remains one of the youngest female private equity fund managers in Africa, having launched her own fund at the age of 29. As the Founder and Managing Partner of Aruwa Capital Management, she oversees one of the very few female-owned and female-led private equity firms on the continent. The fund specifically targets overlooked, high-yield investment opportunities within West Africa’s small to lower mid-market.

Through Aruwa Capital Management, Rhodes is intentionally creating a powerful case study for the global financial ecosystem. Her mission is to prove the commercial viability of investing in women not just as fund managers, but as entrepreneurs, consumers, and pivotal societal stakeholders. She stands as a mission-driven pioneer, uniquely positioning private capital as a catalyst for systemic economic change in Africa.

In this week’s edition of Thriving Women, we celebrate Adesiwa Rhodes, a shining example of persistence who dares to defy the status quo and redraw the lines of African high finance.