OPUIYO OFORIOKUMA

A General Management executive with hands-on experience of managing businesses through major transition and change, Opuiyo Oforiokuma has extensive international experience of major infrastructure projects in different parts of the world.  He is a trouble-shooter accustomed to operating in challenging and diverse environments, and who drives for results. His areas of expertise include new product and service strategy development, change management, business process reengineering, business restructuring and turnaround, cost reduction and operational efficiency improvement, commercial negotiation, M&A, project management, finance.

An honours graduate in Accountancy and Financial Management from the University of Buckingham, Opuiyo joined Thames Water, the UK's largest privatized Water Utility Company, in 1990. During a 16-year career with Thames Water, he was appointed Finance Director of Thames Water International in 2000, and led Thames Water's International Financial function at a time of the company's considerable growth and overseas expansion. He played a leading role in developing and implementing Thames Water's international business and financial strategy, resulting in the successful completion of a number of strategic overseas acquisitions, especially in the USA and Latin America, and in securing and operating a range of multi-million dollar infrastructure projects in countries such as Turkey, Puerto Rico, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Appointed Business Performance Director, Latin America, in 2002, he relocated to Chile, from where he led a fundamental redesign and restructuring of Thames Water's Chilean business operations. This included completion of the first ever legal merger of previously State-owned Chilean Water Companies, creating the second largest company of its type in that country. In 2003 he relocated again, this time to the USA, on being appointed Vice President of Business Change in American Water, the largest investor-owned Water Utility Company in the USA at the time. There he co-directed American Water's Business Transformation Programme, designed to fundamentally transform the company and deliver significant value creation. In 2005, he was appointed Vice President of Product and Service Innovation of American Water, and commenced the development and implementation of a new strategy to create growth from new business start-ups and service offerings.

In 2006 he left American Water to pursue new interests, whereupon he took up his current role as CEO/Managing Director of Lekki Concession Company Ltd.  Lekki Concession Company Ltd is a Nigerian company currently engaged in executing the 30-year Lekki Toll Road Concession, under a mandate from Lagos State Government.  The project is the first of its kind in Nigeria, and is pioneering change in the way road infrastructure is financed and delivered in the country.  The Company recently concluded a N46.8 billion long-term financing package with several blue-chip local and international financial institutions, on terms that are acknowledged as ground-breaking for the Nigerian Market.

ANDREW ALLI

Andrew has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from Kings College, University of London in the UK, and an MBA from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France.

After his first degree, Andrew spent four years in the Management Consulting Division of Coopers & Lybrand (now Price Waterhouse Coopers) providing advice to clients, principally on financial matters. During this time, Andrew qualified as a chartered accountant and also obtained audit and insolvency experience.

Andrew then joined the Corporate Finance Division of S.G. Warburg & Co. Ltd.  (now part of UBS) where he advised clients on mergers, acquisitions and disposals, and equity financing.

After completing his MBA, Andrew joined the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector financing arm of the World Bank Group, in Washington, DC to work as an investment officer, first in the IFC’s Oil Gas and Mining Department and later in the Telecommunications Department. In 2002 he was appointed IFC’s Country Manager for Nigeria, responsible for managing IFC’s operations in the country and stationed in Lagos. In 2006, he was appointed Country Manager for Southern Africa, where he was responsible for South Africa and seven other countries, working out of Johannesburg.

Until his appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) in November 2008, Andrew was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Travant Capital, a private equity fund.

ENGR. UMAR BINDI

Umar Buba Bindir (PhD) graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Maiduguri in 1983.

In his quest to climb to the zenith of his chosen profession, Dr Bindir proceeded to the prestigious Cranfield University, UK and graduated with a Masters Degree in Farm Power and Machinery Engineering. He thereafter enrolled for his Doctoral Degree Programme in Machinery Design and Development Engineering at the same University and successfully completed his PhD in 1991.

Dr Bindir has earned several national and international awards. He has wide technical working experience in Nigeria, UK and the Pacific including:

• Lecturing in universities
• Working in Industries
• Working in the civil and public service

Dr Umar Buba Bindir is a thorough Technology Penetration Professional and an accomplished Engineer. His ingenuity and exquisite skills in ideas generation and innovate Project Development and Implementation easily stands him out in all his places of primary assignment. Presently he is the driving force behind the strategies to narrow the gap between academia and industry. He is the champion on the strategy to develop Science and Technology Parks in Nigeria. He is currently the anchor person on the project to forge a Science, Technology and innovation Corridor along the 30-40Km airport road in Abuja.

Dr Bindir's passion mainly lies in the industrialization of the Nigerian economy through timely deployment of Technology. His vast experience in the use of Technologies and Innovation in development work in the rural and Sub-urban setting is most relevant at this time of reforming the Nigerian economy to be among the top 20 in 2020.

Dr Bindir is happily married to Mrs. Natacha Umar and they are blessed with two lovely Children (a girl and a boy).

MARK DENTON

Born and educated in the Midlands, Mark has always had a passion for people and performance. This was first nurtured on the shop floor of his family’s Northamptonshire based shoe manufacturing company where he worked in the school holidays, instigating several initiatives to improve  productivity and motivation.

Mark’s early working life was spent running his own car valet business at 17 years old, before he sold it to his competitor to attend Leicester University as a mature student at 21. Three years later, he surfaced with an honours degree in Business and HR management, which he first put to use as an Accounts Executive for a media agency in London.

But city life was not his destiny, and two years later he left to concentrate on his other passion – sailing. 4 years and 40,000 sea miles later, Mark entered the gruelling selection procedure against 186 others to be a skipper on the BT Global Challenge 2000/2001, the ultimate environment to put everything he had learnt about sailing and working with people into practice. Victorious, he went on to skipper “BP Explorer”, the yacht sponsored by energy giant BP in this toughest of round the world yacht races.

In 2001, Mark established the dynamic people development consultancy MAXVMG (www.maxvmg.com). As well as nurturing a loyal following for its leadership and team development activity to a diverse range of clients, the company has also won awards for its interactive e-learning module entitled “Safe, Happy, Fast”, based on the leadership and team learning from the Global Challenge race.

Mark is also a sought after meeting facilitator and executive coach, although what he is probably most noted for is his ability as a speaker. His keynote presentation “Leadership and teamwork in the eye of the storm” has been seen by thousands worldwide and to much acclaim.

DOYIN ODUNFA

Adedoyin Odunfa holds a B.Sc. (Combined Honors) in Computer Science and Economics from the Obafemi Awolowo University and an MBA(Information Technology Management) from the City University Business School (now CASS Business School) in the UK. She is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), a Certified ISMS (ISO27001) Lead Auditor, a certified Project Management Practitioner, and is also certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT). Further, Adedoyin is an accredited Consultant for the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) developed by the SFIA Foundation whose members are the BCS: Chartered Institute for IT, eSkills UK, IET, IMA and the ITSMF, UK.

Adedoyin started her career as a Software Programmer and Systems Analyst, and after her MBA, spent time supporting Research and Facilitation at the Lagos Business School, after which she worked with a local Consulting Company to lead large scale IT and Project Management interventions. Thereafter, she joined Phillips Consulting to start up the Information Systems and e-business practice and resigned as an Executive Director in November 2007 to start up Digital Jewels in January 2008.

At Digital Jewels, Adedoyin charts a clear direction for the multi-skilled team of sound professionals all focused on the adding distinctive value to their chosen stakeholders through securing, assuring, enabling, empowering and managing information assets. With clients, in community and industry, Adedoyin brings to bear the wealth of her experience in the corporate world, classroom, war room and boardroom.

Adedoyin is highly focused, an astute business manager and a perceptive leader.

DEJI WEST

Mr West leads the Finance function in Afren Nigeria and is responsible for all finance, accounting and information systems in the region.  Mr West has over 23 years experience with an in-depth knowledge of commerce, finance and accounting from working in several industries which include Distribution, Consulting, Banking, Manufacturing and Oil & Gas. 

Prior to joining Afren, he was the Group CFO of the Sahara Group (Nigeria’s largest private Oil & Gas Company).   Other organisations he has worked with include British Petroleum, Price Waterhouse (now PWC) and Mellon Bank.  He has a wealth of experience having worked in the UK, Europe, Asia, the Far East and the US. Mr West received a BSc degree in Civil Engineering from City University London and an executive MBA in Finance and Strategy from the City University Business School. 

Mr West is a fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and a member The Institute of the same in Nigeria.  He is also on the board of the Project Management Institute (PMI) Lagos Nigeria chapter where he serves in the capacity of President of the Institute.

‘DEMOLA ADEYEMI-BERO

President, BG Nigeria

Managing Director, BG Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited

‘Demola Adeyemi-Bero is the President/Asset General Manager of BG Nigeria and the Managing Director of BG E&P Nigeria Limited. In both roles he has full responsibility for BG’s businesses in Nigeria.

‘Demola has over 25 years experience in the Oil & Gas Industry, and the last 15 years in senior executive positions with global Oil & Gas companies in a number of countries around the world. Prior to his current role, he worked in Shell for 20years in several significant roles; Business Director / Board Executive of Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited, Vice President - New Business in Africa for Shell International E&P with focus on new country entry strategies in North, East and West Africa, as well as growing existing positions in major resource holding countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

‘Demola is a seasoned professional consolidated from early years in roles such as Senior Production Engineer, Chief Petroleum Engineer and Asset Manager in companies in Nigeria, the Netherlands and USA.

‘Demola lives in Lagos with his wife, ‘Yemisi and their two lovely children, and has a passion for golf and all realms of Jazz (listening, not playing), and un-ashamedly an Arsenal FC supporter.

AKIN ODUMAKINDE