Awele Ajibola

Awele Ajibola is the Group Chief Risk Officer at United Bank for Africa Plc, with over three decades of experience in risk management, internal control, compliance, audit and finance.

Her career has progressed steadily through senior management roles in financial services. Before joining UBA, she was Chief Risk Officer at a merchant bank. She has also held leadership positions across commercial banks, including Head of Risk (Corporate & Investment Banking Division), Head of Credit Risk Management, Head of Internal Control, Head of Corporate Audit, Group Executive for Internal Control & Compliance, and Chief Financial Officer. She began her career as an Audit Trainee with an international audit and consulting firm.

Her expertise covers the full spectrum of risk management, including enterprise risk management, operational, credit, market, and information and cybersecurity risks. It extends to internal control and compliance, internal audit and financial control. She is also experienced in policy development, process automation and stakeholder management, including regulatory engagements.

Awele is a member of the Chief Risk Officers’ Forum, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s committee of bank Chief Risk Officers, and has served as an Alternate Director at CRC Credit Bureau. She is ISO 31000 certified as a Lead Risk Manager. Her professional affiliations include Senior Associate of the Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria, Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, and Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.

She has served on several management and board committees, including Risk Management, Credit, Asset and Liability Management (ALCO), Budget, Procurement, Project Governance and Disciplinary Committees.