Rasheed Sarumi
Chairman
Rasheed Sarumi is the Chairman of Alpha African Advisory, bringing over three decades of entrepreneurial leadership to the Board. As Chairman of Alpha African Advisory, Rasheed brings his extensive expertise and passion for transformative leadership to further the company’s mission of seeing a world where African institutions achieve sustainable holistic success. His experience equips him with the ability to navigate complex business landscapes while championing initiatives that enhance productivity and sustainability.
Rasheed steers the affairs of the Saroafrica-SIAT Group, West Africa’s leading fully integrated Edible Oil and Agribusiness group. He oversees a business that employs over 30,000 people across Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Belgium, China, and the USA and manages 80,000 hectares of cultivated land for Oil Palm and rubber.
Rasheed is a member of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council and the Presidential Committee on Food Security Systems, where he supports national efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity and food security. He also chairs the Board of Trustees for Large-scale Cassava and Derivatives Processors in Nigeria and the Family Business Advisory Committee at Lagos Business School, promoting value addition and resilience in enterprises.
Beyond business, Rasheed co-founded the Youth Advocacy for Social Change Foundation, which provides underserved Nigerian youths with access to quality education and workplace readiness skills.
Rasheed Sarumi is a proven leader whose work has positively impacted agribusiness and economic development in Nigeria and beyond and is committed to fostering sustainable growth.
IBUKUN OSIFO
Non-Executive Director
Ibukun is a Non-Executive Director at Alpha Africa Advisory. She is a certified Director of the Institute of Directors (IOD London).
She sits as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Finance, Audit and Remuneration Committee of Broll Nigeria, an Internationally affiliated Property Services Company providing Corporate Real Estate Services: Valuations, Disposals, Acquisitions, Market and Development Feasibility, Commercial and Retail Leasing, Property and Facilities Management and Industry Research.
She has over 30 years of experience in Finance, Audit, Advisory, Private Equity, and Risk Management. She is a former C Suite Executive with expertise across Corporate Real Estate Transactional Services, Real Estate Advisory and Project development and Development Financing. She is a former City of London Investment Banker with c. 15 years’ experience across Relationship Management, Risk Management and Banking and Specialised Finance.
Ibukun has a special interest in Sustainable Development Goals and Social and Economic Impact in Africa. With a particular focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within the Mental Health and Wellness space as well as Education, Economic Empowerment and Financial Inclusion. She has worked as an independent consultant (ST) at the World Bank under the Development Economics Development Policy Unit (DECDP) as a UN Volunteer Independent Judge for the Pan African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education She is a foundation Contributor / Supporter of African Leadership Academy (ALA), an Educational Non-Profit Institution, developing the next generation of African Leaders.
Ibukun holds an MSc in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics, a BSc in Financial Economics (London) and is a certified Credit Risk Analyst (New York). More recently, she completed a master’s degree in psychology and became a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapist.
DEJI ISHMAEL,
CDir, PMP
Non-Executive Director
Deji Ishmael, CDir, PMP is a visionary leader and seasoned executive consultant with over two decades of experience driving transformative change across Fortune 500 companies, governments, and NGOs worldwide. As Chief Executive Officer of Afrissance, a leading strategy and management consulting firm, he empowers African organisations and globally implements business transformations. He has served as a trusted adviser to corporations and government agencies across Africa, Europe, and the Americas, guiding over 300 high-stake projects to success.
As a project management practitioner and enthusiast, he has actively served as a volunteer with the Project Management Institute (PMI) where he has served in many different roles. He currently sits on the board of the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF) and notably served as a pioneer Region Mentor for (Region 16 – Africa) at the Project Management Institute where he helped to develop PMI chapters across Africa. He is committed to building corporate governance in non-profit and corporate sectors, he is a Chartered Director (Institute of Directors, UK), he holds an Executive Masters in Consulting and Coaching for Change from (HEC University in France and Said Business School, Oxford
University)
TAIWO FANIMOKUN
Executive Director
Taiwo is an Executive Director at Alpha African Advisory and has over 10 years of extensive experience covering transaction advisory, strategy, digital transformation, ratings and research in banking and non-banking financial institutions. At Alpha African, she leads the execution of transaction advisory and fundraising mandates across various sectors.
Prior to Alpha African Advisory, Taiwo was Team Lead, Digital Transformation at Union Bank of Nigeria plc – one of Nigeria’s oldest commercial banks, where she was responsible for overseeing the progress of key digital initiatives. As part of the Bank’s strategy team, she was also involved in strategy formulation and execution.
Prior to Union Bank, Taiwo worked at Agusto & Co. where she was a Research/Ratings Analyst.
Taiwo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Management from Aston University, Birmingham (UK).
IFEOMA ODUM
Director- Company Secretary
Ifeoma is a lawyer with over 10 years cognate professional experience in the Nigerian Legal Services Sector. At Alpha African Advisory, she oversees the legal, human resources and risk management functions.
Prior to joining Alpha African Advisory, she worked at various full-service law firms and advised over matters covering Corporate Governance, Company Secretarial and Regulatory Compliance, FinTech, Private Equity Transactions, Company Restructuring, Real Estate Matters, Energy Law, Maritime and Shipping Law, and was an avid Litigator.
Ifeoma holds an LL. B from the University of Lagos and an LL.M in International Commercial Law from Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom. Ifeoma is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association.