BY BAMIDELE FAMOOFO
Sky Capital & Financial Allied Limited, the financial services subsidiary of SIFAX Group, has acquired Skye Bank Sierra Leone, a subsidiary of Skye Bank Nigeria. It has appointed a new Managing Director and three non-executive directors to run the affairs of the bank.
After the approval by the Bank of Sierra Leone, Abiola Bolaji has assumed office as the substantive Managing Director while Ayoku Liadi, Abdul Sheku Kargbo and Abel Onomake have assumed the positions of non-executive directors of the bank.
Abiola Bolaji is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife and has two Masters degrees in Accounting and Financial Management (Distinction) and Corporate Finance from the ICMA Centre, Henley Business School, University of Reading, United Kingdom. He began his professional career as an Office Assistant in Development Finance office of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Uyo as a Youth Corp member before joining Universal Trust bank as a Relationship Officer in 2003. Between 2006 and 2020, Abiola worked with Guaranty Trust Bank, Access Bank and Stanbic IBTC rising to become a Regional Manager and managing 10 branches of the bank located in Ogun and Oyo states. He has received numerous awards for his outstanding performance both professionally and academically.
Ayoku Liadi is an accomplished financial expert with over 25 years of progressive experience. He had served as the Deputy Managing Director, UBA Nigeria where he was in charge of about 500 branches of the bank with deposits of more than 3.5 trillion naira. He also served as the MD/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank Sierra Leone between 2011 and 2013 where he recorded outstanding achievements and led the bank to become the most profitable bank in 2013. Ayoku’s exceptional leadership also earned the bank the prestigious KPMG award for the Best Customer Service Bank in 2012. Ayoku holds a B Sc. in Business Management from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, an ACA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a Master’s degree in Marketing from the University of Lagos.
While congratulating the new appointees, Taiwo Afolabi, Chairman, SIFAX Group, said the desire to make sustainable impact in the financial sector across West Africa was responsible for the quality of leaders appointed to manage the financial institutions in Sierra Leone.
He said: “SIFAX Group is synonymous with the delivery of best value and excellence. We know that quality workforce and experienced board would drive our vision of becoming the most desired financial services brand across the West Coast. We are pleased with these appointments and convinced they possess the requisite knowledge and experience to deliver on the vision.
“I have no doubt that these new leaders will catapult Skye Bank, Sierra Leone to the top in the country. We will provide all the necessary support needed for them to succeed in our quest to become a Pan-African financial institution.”
