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Giving Women a Voice…The Tony Elumelu Modus Operandi
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It is often more convenient to possess the ashes of great men than to possess the men themselves in their lifetime. But in Tony Elumelu’s case, the reality is remarkably different; Nigeria is extremely lucky to possess Elumelu. This is because the maverick banker elevates fiscal management and entrepreneurship to an art form, for the benefit of the country.
The excellence of his art however, lies in its intensity; Elumelu is specially gifted at taming the odds and making all disagreeable evaporate like mountain dew on grains of sand. And he does not have to force it; he simply faces challenges with courage, matchless equanimity and devotion to beauty and truth.
Predictably, his ascent to the top was never a walk in the park. It required paying his dues and shunning the frivolous. Hence you would never find Elumelu concentrating on anything beyond business and philanthropy.
Yes, frequently likened to a champion and oftentimes, a business genius, Tony Elumelu effortlessly depicts the image of a modern day General of Commerce. Tony, among other things, projects a benevolent culture of industry and humanity. Through unparalleled modesty and hard work, he dispels the notion that entrepreneurial success constantly conflicts with excellent citizenship of humanity.
Mr. Chairman, as he is respectably called, also understands that to be a man of honour and substance requires indeterminate exploits at dawn through dusk in honest industry. He knows that honour and longevity, like celery, flourishes in the dark shade – far from the blaze of disconcerting neon lights.
However, being a symbol of African enterprising spirit of passion, unadulterated commitment, resilience and hardwork has not been without commensurate accolades.
No doubt, the recent appointment of four women into top executive and non-executive directorship positions in Transcorp underscores the predilection of Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings, the parent company of Transcorp, for identifying excellent female leaders and promoting them to important leadership positions.
Being the father of five beautiful girls is enough reason for Tony Elumelu, chairman of the UBA Group, to have a soft spot for women. But for one of Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs, it goes beyond that. In an era when companies are being forced to redress inequality within their teams, Elumelu has proved to be sensitive and serious about gender equality. And he is leading the charge of the few men giving women a shot at leadership positions.
Recently, the Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, where Elumelu is also chairman, announced significant appointments to its board and executive management. Owen Omogiafo was appointed as President/Group Chief Executive Officer with effect from March 25, 2020. She will succeed Valentine Ozigbo, who is retiring to pursue a career in public service. Omogiafo is currently the MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc and has over two decades of corporate experience in organisational development, human capital management, banking, change management and hospitality.
Also appointed is Dupe Olusola as the MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc. Olusola is currently the Group Head, Marketing, at United Bank for Africa Plc and has over 21 years of corporate experience including being the former MD/CEO of Teragro Juice Concentrate Plant. Helen Iwuchukwu, currently the Group Company Secretary of Transcorp Plc, has been appointed as an Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of the company.
Other appointments are; Christopher Ezeafulukwe, hitherto the Executive Director, Business Development and Legal, Transcorp Plc, as the MD/CEO of Transcorp Power Plant, Ughelli; and Okaima Ohizua as Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of Transcorp Power Ltd. Elumelu was quoted as saying that he was confident that the newly appointed chief executives and non-executive directors would further strengthen Transcorp’s mission of improving lives across Nigeria.
However, these gender-sensitive appointments are not peculiar to just Transcorp. In UBA and other companies that Elumelu has controlling or considerable stakes, the story is the same. In UBA, women like Foluke K. Abdul-Razaq, Owanari Duke, Erelu Angela Adebayo and Angela Aneke serve as non-executive directors while Noellie Tiendrebeogo, Sarata Kone, Chioma Mang, Nkechi Arizor and Adesola Yomi-Ajayi serve as chief executive officer, UBA in Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Gabon, Liberia and New York respectively.
Amie Ndiaye Sow and Abiola Bawuah are the Regional CEO 1 and 2, West Africa. Back home, Bola Atta, Dupe Olusola and Patricia Aderibigbe are Group Heads, Corporate Communication, Marketing and Human Resources respectively. Emem Usoro is the Directorate Head Abuja & North Central Bank.
At Africa Prudential, Mrs Eniola Fadayomi, MFR, serves as Chairman while Uzoamaka Oshogwe, is the Managing Director/CEO, Afriland Properties. Likewise, at Avon Healthcare Limited, Dr Awele Vivien Elumelu is the chairperson while Adesimbo Ukiri is the Chief Executive Officer. At the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the leading African philanthropy committed to empowering African entrepreneurs, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu serves as CEO. Appointed in 2018, Ugochukwu is the first African to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation.
According to Elumelu, “These appointments demonstrate our commitment to nurturing talent and rewarding success. We have a deep pool of highly qualified and dedicated employees, who can be challenged with more responsibility in attaining our corporate vision.
“We remain committed to diversity and inclusion; are delighted by the depth and quality of experience that this leadership team brings to our group. These appointments further indicate our internal succession capacity and strong corporate governance practices.”
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HabariPay Launches Maiden “HabariPay Impact Report 2025”, Showcasing Its Journey, Business Evolution, and Contributions to Digital Payments
HabariPay Limited, the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”), has unveiled its maiden HabariPay Impact Report 2025, providing stakeholders with a comprehensive account of the company’s evolution, innovation journey, business performance, and impact on the digital payments landscape.The report captures HabariPay’s transformation from a newly established fintech venture into one of Nigeria’s leading payment infrastructure providers, highlighting the milestones, strategic decisions, and investments that have shaped its growth. It showcases the company’s contributions to enabling digital commerce, supporting businesses, strengthening payment infrastructure, and expanding financial access through technology-driven solutions.The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 also highlights the company’s strong financial and operational performance, the growth of the Squad platform, and the development of infrastructure that powers payment acceptance, switching, transfers, merchant services, and value-added solutions. The publication further explores the role of innovation, talent development, and ecosystem partnerships in driving the company’s success.Speaking on the launch of the report, the Managing Director of HabariPay, Eduofon Japhet, said: “As a technology-driven company, we believe that impact extends beyond financial performance. It is reflected in the businesses we enable, the merchants we support, the infrastructure we build, and the opportunities we create for the next generation of innovators. The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 captures this journey and demonstrates our commitment to creating sustainable value for customers, partners, and the broader economy.”She further added: “The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 represents more than a reflection on our achievements; it is a testament to the deliberate investments we have made in building sustainable payment infrastructure, empowering businesses, fostering innovation, and creating long-term value for our stakeholders. As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding our capabilities, deepening our impact, and shaping the future of digital payments through technology-driven solutions that are secure, scalable, and inclusive.”The report also showcases HabariPay’s investments in innovation through initiatives such as the Take on Squad Hackathon and the Squad Hackademy, both of which are helping to develop future technology talent and accelerate the creation of practical solutions to real-world challenges.Looking ahead, the publication outlines HabariPay’s vision for the future, including continued investment in payment infrastructure, merchant solutions, digital innovation, and intelligent technologies that will shape the future of financial services.
To access the HabariPay Impact Report 2025, please click the below: https://squadco.com/impact-report/About HabariPayHabariPay Ltd is the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), one of the largest financial services institutions in Africa with direct and indirect investments in a network of operating entities located in 10 countries across Africa and the United Kingdom.Licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), our goal is to support SMEs, micro merchants, large corporations, and other fintechs (Tech Stars) with the tools they need to thrive in an evolving digital economy and expand beyond their current market reach. HabariPay’s solutions include Squad, a full-scale digital payments toolkit to make in-person and online payments simpler, HabariPay Storefront, an e-commerce website to facilitate online purchases, Value-Added Services to help merchants access cost-effective and flexible airtime and data bundles to run their businesses, as well as a switching infrastructure that enables tech-focused businesses to optimise cost and make transactions more efficient.HabariPay’s contributions to Accelerating Digital Acceptance in Africa have not gone unnoticed–it received Mastercard’s Innovative Mobile Payment Solution Award at TIA 2022 for its innovative payment solution, SquadPOS.
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ZENITHBANKPARTNERSLAWMA,LASWATOCOMMEMORATEWORLDENVIRONMENT DAY 2026 WITH TWO-PHASE LAGOS CLEAN-UP
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ZENITH BANK RENEWS COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN WITH EDUCATION, INCLUSION & OPPORTUNITY AT THE CORE
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Much more than commemorating the annual Children’s Day marked every May 27, Zenith Bank Plc is championing thenarrativethatchildrenarethetrueleadersoftomorrow.TheBankhasdeepeneditsinvestmentincarefullycuratedinitiativesthatelevatechildrenacrosseducation,financialliteracy,health,digitalinclusion,andsocialprotection,building a generation equipped to thrive and lead. For Zenith Bank, every child matters, and the Bank’s footprint reflectsa deliberate, pan-African strategy to nurture potential from the earliest age.Zenith Bank has been the financial institution partner to Kiddies Corner on Inspiration 92.3FM Lagos for over threeyears, anchoring the Tuesday edition and Zenith Financial Literacy Friday show. The programme blends spelling beecontestswithfinancialliteracyquestions,creatingawarenessandonboardingchildrenintotheZenithChildren’sAccount (ZECA). This partnership came alive at the Inspiration FM Children’s Day Carnival on Saturday, May 23, 2026,whereZenithBankhostedover1,000childrenandtheirparents,celebratingZECAwinnerswithgames,skits,andZenith Bank branded gifts.The Bank’s Zenith Financial Literacy Week, held quarterly, takes this mission into select schools across all 36 statesandtheFCT.Studentsaretrainedonsavings,budgeting,basicinvestments,anditsretailproducts,withthetopperformer in each school awarded N50,000. Complementing this is the Bank’s nationwide Financial Literacy ProgramundertheCBN-mandatedGlobalMoneyWeek,whichin2025alonereached3,622studentsacross22LGAs,deploying 137 bank employee volunteers as educators.In alignment with the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality Education, Zenith Bankhasdonatedstate-of-the-artICTcentresandcomputersystemstoschoolsanduniversitiesnationwide,includingaComputerCentretoBamainaAcademy,Dutse,JigawaState.Itstransformativeinterventionsincludefullyequippedlibraries,vocationalfacilities,andlarge-scaleschoolrenovations,fromOjotaSecondarySchoolandVictoriaIslandSecondary School in Lagos to Hugallawa Primary School in Jigawa. Targeted financial support further breaks barrierswith N1 million cash donation to Louisville Girls High School, Ijebu-Itele, supporting girl-child education; infrastructureupgrades at Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School; a N1 million scholarship endowment for St. Francis CatholicSecondary School; and support for the North-East Children’s Fund to aid education in conflict-affected communities.Through its Primary Healthcare Centre Initiative across all 774 LGAs, Zenith Bank educates parents on early childhoodsavings during routine visits, linking health and financial well-being. The “PAD-A-QUEEN” Initiative commemorates theInternational Day of the Girl Child, reaching5,000 girls in 10 schools withsanitary pads, hygiene kits, and menstrualhealth education to keep girls in school and promote SDGs 3, 4, and 5.The Bank’s compassion extends to the most vulnerable. At Bethesda Home and School for the Blind, Idi Oro, Lagos,Zenith donatedbraille materials,food, and toiletries.For the2026 InternationalDay forStreet Children,it partneredwithBosco Child Protection Centre on medical check-ups, food, clothing, and counseling. Annual Christmas Charity Visits toorphanagesdelivercash,toys,andessentialsupplies,whilesupportfortheSmileandShineChildrenFoundation’sStrive Conference empowers over 2,000 adolescents with life skills and leadership training.Commenting on the Bank’s intentionality towards the development of children, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, GroupManaging Director/CEO, ZenithBank Plc, said, “AtZenith Bank, weare deliberate about initiativesthat elevate childrenbecausetheyarenotjustourfuture,theyareourpresentresponsibility.AsWhitneyHoustonsopoignantlysang,‘Ibelievethechildrenarethefuture,teachthemwellandletthemleadtheway.’Thatisthephilosophydrivingourinvestmentsineducation,financialliteracy,health,anddigitalinclusion.FromKiddiesCornertoICTcentres,fromPHCs to orphanages, we are teaching them well, equipping them early, and giving them the tools to lead. Zenith Bankrenews its commitment to every Nigerian child, to nurture their dreams, protect their dignity, and secure their tomorrow.”Championing youth expression, the Zenith Annual Youth Parade, hosted by the Bank for 19 years, stands as a flagshipCorporate Social Responsibilityinitiative. Bringing togetherthousands of childrenand teenagers in avibrant showcaseof unity and discipline, the parade has remained dedicated since inception to the vital mission of supporting, nurturing, -
andempoweringtheNigerianchild,reinforcingtheBank’sbeliefthatleadershipislearnedearlythroughteamwork,confidence, and celebration of young Nigerian identity.ForZenithBank,Children’sDayismorethanadateonthecalendar.Itisadailypledgetoempower,protect,andprepareNigeria’schildrenforleadership.Fromclassroomstocommunities, the Bank’s initiatives are teaching them welland letting them lead the way because the future belongs to children who are equipped today.

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