Management Team

Nath Ude is the Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of NOVA Merchant Bank Limited. Preceding this appointment, he was the Deputy Managing Director of the Bank

Mr. Ude is a seasoned Banker whose experience cuts across three continents in world class financial institutions. He has held several senior banking positions internationally and in Nigeria including Executive Director First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and recently Executive Director Union Bank from where he joined NOVA. He started his banking career over 28 years ago with Citibank.

Mr. Ude was a Non- Executive Director of NIBSS and is an Honorary Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). He is widely regarded as a reliable and trusted motivator, a mentor with highly effective and result-oriented leadership, analytical mindset in addition to being business focused. His expertise lies in the development and management of complex processes and services, as well as in designing system and structural efficiencies that drive higher productivity, better customer and employee satisfaction and maximum stakeholder value.

Mr. Ude has a BSc in Finance, Masters in Business Administration, numerous professional qualifications and attended various leadership programs at globally renowned institutions.

Ayodeji Adigun is the Executive Director / Chief Operating Officer and member of the board at Nova Merchant Bank Limited. He has over 30 years of banking and finance experience with strong background and competencies in financial control, performance management, project management, operations, technology, human resources, audit, strategic planning and business transformation.

Prior to his current role, he was the Chief of Staff to the GMD/CEO at the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA). He also served at various times as the Head, Strategy and Business Transformation, the Chief Financial Officer (North Region), Chief Operating Officer, UBA Properties and Head, Performance Management during his time at UBA.

Mr. Adigun has served in several executive roles in the banking industry including the Chief Finance Officer , Head Corporate Development Standard Trust Bank as well as  Head Financial Control Diamond Bank Plc, in addition to the Head Corporate Planning & Development and Head Financial Control at NAL Merchant Bank. In the course of his banking career, Mr. Adigun has extensively played a key role in the conception and deployment of turnaround strategies for business segments/units,  initiated several cost optimization measures that resulted in appreciable reduction in cost-to-income ratio, has been deeply involved in the articulation, review and co-ordination of organizational polices in order to facilitate the decision making process, improve operational efficiency and enhance productivity. Furthermore, he has spear-headed the design and implementation of budgetary control systems, performance management systems and several new products.

Prior to joining the banking industry, he worked at Ernst & Young as an Audit Senior after a brief stint as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Lagos.

Mr. Adigun possesses a B.Sc. Hons in Accounting (First Class) from the University of Lagos. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants UK and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He is also an alumnus of the Senior Management Programme at the Lagos Business School.

Funke Okoya is the Executive Director-Investment Bank of NOVA Merchant Bank where she is responsible for the growth and oversight of the Bank’s subsidiaries comprising Asset Management, Securities Trading, Public Sector Group and Investment Banking. During her time at the Bank, she has been responsible for Business Development for Corporate Banking, Energy Bank, Products/Channels and Digital Banking. She has over 22 years experience covering Corporate and Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, Credit and Risk Management, Operations, Customer Services, Technology, Project Management, Branding, Strategy and Communications.

Prior to joining the Bank, she was the Director, Client Origination and Coverage of Emerging Africa Capital Group and served as the Group Head Corporate Banking at Coronation Merchant Bank. She was a Regional Bank Head, Commercial Banking Group at Access Bank Plc and a pioneer business manager of two branches at the United Bank for Africa Plc. She started her career in Risk Management and Commercial Banking Group at Ecobank Nigeria Plc.

Funke Okoya is a Business Administration graduate of the University of Lagos and holds an MBA from Business School Netherlands. She is an alumnus of INSEAD Business School where she attended its Advanced Corporate Finance Programme. She is a certified Fellow and council member of the Association of Investment Advisers and Portfolio Managers.

Mr Emmanuel Onokpasa is the Executive Director, Wholesale Bank and Treasury of NOVA Merchant Bank Limited with oversight over Corporate Banking, Commercial Banking including Energy, Power, Telecoms, Products/Channels, Digital Banking, Treasury, Correspondent Banking and Financial Institutions.

He is a seasoned financial services practitioner with about three decades of experience spanning operating multi-currency balance sheets, foreign exchange risk hedges and trading, fixed income securities, structured trade and finance, debt raising, international trade, wholesale banking, business strategy, operations, auditing and consulting.

Mr Onokpasa has served as Group Treasurer and Head of Global Financial Institutions & Structured Finance in leading banks including United Bank for Africa and Diamond Bank. He is reputed for his astute professionalism, strong leadership, execution and innovation.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Benin. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment UK (MCSI), Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration, Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and Honorary Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (HCIB). He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, the Lagos Business School and Member, Institute of Directors UK (MIoD).

Chinedu is the Head, Financial Institutions, NOVA Merchant Bank Limited. Preceding this position, he was the Chief Operating Officer of the Bank.

He has over 27 years experience in financial services covering business development, product development, retail banking, banking operations, payment cards and alternative delivery channels, strategy and support.

Prior to this role, MD/CEO of Diamond Pension Fund Custodian Limited and under his watch the company’s risk management rating improved from Medium to Low Risk.

He has held several senior roles during his career including Group Head, Cards and Channels Services Group and Head, Branch Operations Services (Lagos, West and South) at Diamond Bank. He is noted to have a firm interest in leadership, strategy development and execution.

Chinedu possesses a B.Sc. (Hons) in Banking/Finance from the Imo State University, Uturu and an MBA (Financial Management) from Lagos State University and has attended several professional course/seminars covering operations, risk management, performance management and corporate governance

Aramide Awosanya is the Group Head, Corporate Banking of NOVA Merchant Bank, and she has over 24 years of experience in corporate and commercial banking, sales, marketing, and client relationship management. She is tasked with leading the corporate banking team in the creation, implementation, and execution of growth strategies.

Prior to joining the team at NOVA Merchant Bank, Aramide was the Regional Manager, Mainland at Wema Bank where she oversaw 17 Branches and later became a Regional Manager at Access Bank Plc.

She began her banking career in 1998 at Habib Nig Bank in Kaduna, where she received an award for the best customer service staff as a reward for her dedication to improving customer satisfaction.

Furthermore, she has held a variety of high-level positions within United Bank for Africa Plc, including the position of Regional Bank Head, Regional Manager, Branch Manager, and Deputy Regional Executive, and at Guarantee Trust Bank, she oversaw everything from back-office operations to sales and marketing.

She is an associate of the Nigerian Institute of Management, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), and the Chartered Credit Administration Institute.

Aramide has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Bayero University in Kano and a Master of Business Administration from Ladoke Akintola University in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.