By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A leading African private equity fund manager, Advanced Finance and Investment Group (AFIG Funds), is investing in Nigeria’s FSDH Merchant Bank, a financial services group.
CEO of AFIG Funds, Mr Papa Madiaw Ndiaye, expressed his company’s excitement in being a shareholder of the Nigerian bank through the Atlantic Coast Regional Fund (ACRF).
“We are pleased to become a shareholder in FSDH, a well-established financial services group in Nigeria with exciting growth prospects, and a long track record of strong performance.
“We look forward to working with the Bank’s management, the board of directors, and the other shareholders to support the bank in achieving its ambitious objectives,” Mr Ndiaye said.
Managing Director of FSDH Merchant Bank, Ms Hamda Ambah, also shared Mr Ndiaye’s sentiment, saying, “We are delighted to welcome AFIG Funds as a shareholder of the Bank.
“We have built a strong relationship with the AFIG Funds team over time, and most recently in the context of this transaction.
“We believe that the Bank stands to benefit from AFIG Funds’ extensive experience investing in financial institutions across Africa.
“Importantly, we welcome their faith in the prospects of the Nigerian economy, backed by their experience identifying opportunities and investing in Nigeria and across the continent.”
FSDH provides an array of services including merchant banking, corporate banking, investment banking, asset management and pension fund management.
The lender’s success through the years has been spurred by top quality service anchored on best practice governance, from the shareholders to the board of directors, which stands out by any standards across emerging markets.
Dipo Olowookere 
Aduragbemi Omiyale