2024 BOI in the Press News & Events

Bank of Industry Appoints GOPA Intec for Climate Finance Technical Assistance Program

The Bank of Industry(BOI) has appointed GOPA Intec as the technical consultant under the “Transforming Financial Systems for Climate” (TFSC) Program, funded by a €2.5m grant from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Green Climate Fund (GCF).

The Technical Assistance Program is a critical step in supporting Nigeria’s transition to a sustainable and climate-resilient economy. The Program will develop the capacities of BOI and key financial sector players to manage climate finance, design climate-friendly financial products, and apply global best practices for impactful results in Nigeria.

The program also provides a critical support to enhancing gender financing for women owned or led businesses by creating new strategic partnerships.

Over the next four years, GOPA Intec will provide strategic technical assistance to BOI, helping to mobilize climate finance for key renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate-friendly projects across Nigeria in both mitigation and adaptation type projects.

The engagement of GOPA Intec as the technical consultant demonstrates Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable development and green economic growth.

The Transforming Financial Systems for Climate (TFSC) program is part of a global €653 million effort of the Agence Française de Développement Group and the Green Climate Fund to develop a market for climate finance in 17 countries across Africa and Latin America.

The TFSC Program has selected the Bank of Industry to anchor the Climate Finance Strategy, and Environmental and Social Risk Management System implementation for Nigeria.

The specific objectives of TFSC in Nigeria are to:

  • Support Nigerian financial institutions in adopting a climate finance strategy and tools.
  • Provide support for the promotion of green sustainable growth in different sectors, leveraging both public and private financing.
  • Consolidate the application of market-based instruments for environmental/climate-smart investments.
  • Improve the competitiveness and growth of cleaner business opportunities that lead to job creation.
  • Develop new guiding principles and partnerships with international endowments and foundations to scale financing to women businesses.
  • Implement training and capacity building programs for banks, clients and key partners to enhance support for climate investments in Nigeria.

 

 

 

2024 Blog Posts News & Events

President Tinubu Appoints New Executive Directors at Bank of Industry

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Mr. Rotimi Akinde and Mrs. Ifeoma Uz’Okpala as Executive Director, Corporate Finance & Risk Management and Executive Director, Large Enterprises Directorate respectively to the Bank of Industry (BOI) effective, Monday, August 26, 2024.

Rotimi Akinde is a finance professional with over 20 years Investment and Corporate Banking experience and an extensive track record covering capital raising (Debt, Equities and Hybrids) as well as Corporate Finance (Mergers & Acquisitions, Privatization Advisory and Project Finance).

Prior to joining the Bank of Industry, he was an Associate Partner, Project & Corporate Finance at the Infrastructure Delivery International (IDI), where he worked on the UKNIAF programme and promoted green finance as well as structured debt solutions for sub-nationals.
He also worked previously as the Corporate Finance Advisor at Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (‘NIAF’), providing financing initiatives, modelling and funding structures on infrastructure.

He served within Corporate Banking as the Group Head & Assistant General Manager, Multinationals at UBA Plc, prior to which he was Vice President, Corporate Finance & Advisory at UBA Global Markets (‘now United Capital’).

He was a Privatization Adviser & Head, Oil & Gas Team at the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), where he closed on the divestiture and sale of the Federal Government’s equity interest in 11 Oil Services Companies and achieved the sale of all the Federal Government’s LPG assets.

He was an Assistant Manager in Leadbank Plc, within both the Investment and Corporate Banking Groups.
Prior to this he had worked in the financial sector in the United Kingdom as an Investment Analyst with Barclays Funds, London and a stint as an Analyst with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, London.
Rotimi holds a Bachelors degree in Economics from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; earned a Masters Degree in International Securities, Investment & Banking from the University of Reading, UK and holds an Executive MBA from INSEAD.

Mrs. Ifeoma Uz’Okpala joined BOI in September 2014 as Group Head, Large Enterprises Credit and later served as the Chief Risk Officer of the Bank before her appointment.

As Chief Risk Officer of the Bank, she played a crucial role in managing and mitigating risks associated with the bank’s operations, while also providing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risk support. She offered invaluable ESG support within transactions and provided the roadmap for attracting impact investments.

Uz’Okpala is a seasoned Credit and Risk Management Professional, with a career spanning over 30 years in the financial sector.

She commenced her career at International Merchant Bank and progressed through key roles at MBC International, First Bank, Stanbic Bank, and UBA. Her versatile expertise includes Internal Audit, Corporate Finance, Credit Evaluation and Origination, Foreign Operations, and Risk Management.

She is an alumna of the University of Nigeria, where she attained a BSc. In Accountancy and a graduate of the prestigious Lagos Business School.

Uz’Okpala is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), an Honourary Senior Member (HCIB) of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and Member of the Chartered Risk Management Institute.