Financial Services Innovators has appointed eight new personalities into its Board of Trustees, as part of its efforts to make Nigeria a global leader in innovative technology-driven financial services.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Executive Director of FSI, Aituaz Kola-Oladejo, said, “The trustees will bring their wealth of expertise to the board to help build, support and grow a collaborative and innovative ecosystem of players in the financial services space.”
The newly appointed trustees are the representative of Committee of e-Business Industry Heads(CeBIH) and Head of Card and Messaging Business at First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Folasade Femi-Lawal; Co-founder/Chief Executive of Co-Creation Hub, Bosun Tijani; and Principal of Flourish Ventures, Efayomi Carr.
Others are Co-founder/Chief Operating Officer of Digital Encode Limited, Adewale Obadare; Co-founder of Domineum Blockchain Solutions, Mohammed Jega; Divisional Head of Business Services and Client Experience/Executive Committee member at Central Securities and Clearing System, Onome Komolafe; Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Capricorn Digital Limited, Dee Abudu; and Co-founder of LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited, Wole Odetayo.
According to the statement, FSI is a shared infrastructure for the financial services industry to foster innovation and support startups.
“The organisation is passionate about driving innovation in the financial services industry and in providing financial and economic development services,” Kola-Oladejo said.
FSI is governed by a BoT, which comprises representatives from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, a non-executive director of a foremost financial institution and the fintech community, the statement added.
A non-profit organisation, FSI aims to lower barriers to entry, promote a level playing field for innovators without undermining the safety and security of the payment system for the general public, while advocating policies that encourage innovation in the fintech community.
Femi-Lawal, a senior executive and digital payment expert, has more than 25 years’ experience spanning retail banking, business advisory services, and telecoms.
Tijani, an innovation expert, holds a masters’ degree in Information Systems and Management. He is concluding his doctoral degree programme in Innovation Systems, while Carr holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Obadare is a cyber-security expert, and has a portfolio of awards, and Jega has over 18 years’ experience in projects.
Komolafe, who holds an MBA, brings to bear the professional experience she garnered from leadership and service delivery in various organisations.
Abudu’s experience includes over 15 years in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and project finance in the United Kingdom, United States and African capital markets.
Odetayo is passionate about birthing social change in Africa through Information Technology, innovation, research and entrepreneurship.