Jobs/Appointments
George Elombi to Succeed Benedict Oramah as Afreximbank President
By Adedapo Adesanya
Shareholders of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have appointed Mr George Elombi as the next President and Chairman of the board of directors of the continental financial institution.
With this appointment, he becomes the fourth President to lead the bank since its establishment in 1993. He replaces Mr Benedict Oramah.
His appointment was one of the key decisions of the 32nd Afreximbank group annual meetings and associated events held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 25 to 28 June, with the formal annual general meeting of shareholders taking place on Saturday, 28 June 2025.
The outgoing Mr Oramah has served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2015, and will be stepping down in September 2025.
The new Sheriff in town scaled through a rigorous selection process initiated in January 2025, which included a global call for applications published in international media and on the Afreximbank website. Shortlisted candidates were interviewed by an international human resource executive search firm.
The top candidates were presented to the Board of Directors, which recommended Mr Elombi to the General Meeting of Shareholders for final approval.
Under the Afreximbank Charter, a president is appointed by the general meeting of shareholders upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors for a term of five years, renewable once.
A Cameroonian national, Mr Elombi has been with Afreximbank since 1996, joining as a Legal Officer. He rose through the ranks to become Executive Vice President, Governance, Legal and Corporate Services.
Over his nearly three decades at the bank, he has served as Director and Executive Secretary (2010–2015); Deputy Director, Legal Services / Executive Secretary (2008–2010); Chief Legal Officer (2003–2008); and Senior Legal Officer (2001–2003).
Prior to joining Afreximbank, he taught law at the University of Hull, United Kingdom.
According to a statement, Mr Elombi played a pivotal role in establishing Afreximbank group’s structure, including the formation of key subsidiaries that have expanded the Bank’s capacity to deliver on its mandate.
As Chair of the Emergency Response Committee, he led the bank’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, mobilising over $2 billion for vaccine acquisition and deployment across African and Caribbean nations. Under his supervision of the Equity Mobilisation and Investor Relations department, the Bank’s total ordinary equity mobilised amounted to $3.6 billion as at April 2025.
Speaking on his appointment, Mr Elombi expressed a deep commitment to the Bank’s mission and future.
“I have worked alongside remarkable colleagues and extraordinary leaders to help shape this institution’s vision, its mandate as well as its growth. As we look to the future, I see Afreximbank as a force for industrialising Africa and for re-gaining the dignity of Africans wherever they are. I will work to preserve this important asset.”
He accepted the shareholders’ desire as expressed by his predecessor to make the institution a $250 billion bank in ten years.
Mr Elombi holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the London School of Economics, University of London, and a Ph.D. in Commercial Arbitration from the same university. He obtained a ‘Maitrise-en-Droit’ from the University of Yaoundé in 1989.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Mr Malolan Sampath has been appointed as the new chief executive of Champion Breweries Plc, effective September 1, 2026.
The appointment of a new chief executive was approved by the board of the brewery giant following the resignation of Mr Inalegwu Adoga.
To ensure continuity during the transition pending Mr Sampath’s assumption of office, the board has appointed Mr Rasheed Ademola Adebiyi, Executive Director of Finance, to take charge of the affairs of the organisation.
In a statement, the board said it remains committed to the highest standards of corporate governance and to delivering a seamless leadership transition and sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders.
The new Sheriff in town, expected to take over next quarter, was described as an accomplished executive with over 26 years of international leadership experience across the beverage, FMCG, manufacturing and agro-industrial sectors, having built and led businesses up to $500 million in scale.
His beverage and brewing experience includes serving as Managing Director of Unique Beverages in Angola and as Sales & Marketing Director for a PepsiCo bottling franchise, in addition to earlier brewing-sector experience.
Most recently, he held the dual role of Managing Director (NPK Joint Venture) and Chief Marketing Officer at Indorama Eleme Fertilisers in Nigeria and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Global Industries Limited, a Wilmar International joint venture in Zambia.
He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management (MBA) from the Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD, Pune, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Chennai.
The board expressed confidence that his expertise in manufacturing excellence, commercial execution and business transformation will support the company’s strategic objectives and long-term growth.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Erudite legal practitioner, Mr Muiz Banire (SAN), has been appointed to the board of a construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
He joins the board of the organisation as a non-executive director, with effect from July 1, 2026, alongside Mrs Chinazo Okoye, who is an alternate director to Dr Ernest N. Azudialu-Obiejesi.
A statement from the company secretary, Ms Cecilia Ekanem Madueke, said Mrs Okoye is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Master of Engineering Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA, and a Master of Science Degree in Professional Accountancy from the University of London, London, UK.
She is a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. She has worked in various positions in various companies and is currently the Managing Director of Amaranta Trading Limited.
As for Mr Banire, he is a graduate of the University of Lagos and holds a Master of Laws Degree as well as a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the same university.
He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1989. He also holds a Master Certificate in the Arbitration Master Course from the Lagos Court of Arbitration Training Institute. He was admitted to the Inner Bar and conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He is a Member of the International Bar Association, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Fellow of the Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Institute of Management. He is registered with the Law Society of England.
He had served in various capacities in the Legal profession, academic community and publicly. He was conferred with the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
He is the Founder and Principal Partner, M. A. Banire & Associates, Member of the Board of Trustees, Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State, and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Access Holdings Plc appointed Mr Sa’adu Jijji as the new chief executive of Access ARM Pensions Limited, its pension subsidiary.
The appointment has received all necessary regulatory approvals, including the board of Access ARM Pensions, reflecting the group’s continued focus on deepening leadership capacity across its subsidiaries and reinforcing its position in Nigeria’s pension industry.
Mr Jijji obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
He is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in the financial services sector, spanning pension fund administration, investment management, actuarial consulting, and corporate strategy.
Mr Jijji has held senior leadership roles at Premium Pension Limited, Alexander Forbes Consulting Actuaries Nigeria and Pension Alliance Limited (PAL Pensions), where he served as acting managing director.
Also, his appointment underscores Access Holdings’ commitment to delivering long-term value to retirement savings account holders and other stakeholders, while advancing its broader strategy of building globally competitive financial services businesses.
In 2024, Access Pensions Limited acquired a majority stake in ARM Pensions Managers Limited to create Nigeria’s second-largest Pension Fund Administrator by Assets Under Management.
At the time, the then-Group Chief Executive, Access Holdings, Mr Herbert Wigwe, said, “We are pleased to have reached this transformative milestone in our pension fund administration journey. The proposed combination of ARM Pension with Access Pensions will not only create sustainable stakeholder value but will also contribute positively to the growth and development of the pension industry.”
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