Meet the 30 female custodians of corporate governance in Nigeria

Thirty female professionals across various sectors in Nigeria have been awarded as female Custodians of corporate governance by the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN).

The awardees were recognised for having spent careers strengthening governance practices, often behind the scenes and without public acknowledgement.

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The event was held during SCGN’s 5th Annual International Women’s Day Roundtable recently, with the theme: ‘Governance for Shared Values: Women as Drivers of Accountability and Growth’ which brought together in-person and online participants for a time of honest conversation, reflection, and historic recognition.

The Custodians are drawn from prominent organisations across the financial services, energy, telecommunications, manufacturing, and professional services sectors, are company secretaries, compliance leaders, governance advisors, and boardroom professionals.

The awardees
The 30 custodians of corporate governance awardees are Funmilayo Odunola Adesola, Seplat Energy Plc; Adebimpe Ihunna, Seplat Energy Plc; Oluwafunmilayo Oguntunde, Oando Plc; Ifeoma Ezenwachi, First Bank Nigeria; Adaeze Udensi, MTN Nigeria; Nkechi Eze, UAC Nigeria Plc; Olabisi Adetokunbo, UPDC Plc; Chidinma Onyeji, CAP Plc; Ngozi Amadi, Quest Merchant Bank; Tolu Adesanya, MRS Oil Nigeria Limited; Obiageli Obi, NPF Microfinance Bank Plc; and Kemi Adeyemi, Manifold Computers Limited.
Others are Abiola Baruwa, First HoldCo Plc; Adedayo Ajibade, International Energy Services Ltd; Aramide Nwokediuko, Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc; Cecilia Madueke, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc; Dolapo Alabi, Wemabod Ltd; Edith Onwuchekwa, Seplat Energy PLC; Folake Kalaro, UPDC Plc; Funmi Adedibu, FCMB Group Plc; Osaro Idemudia, NPF Microfinance Bank Plc; Mary Ogechukwu, Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria Limited and Bolanle Meshida, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited.

The others are Oluwadamilola Deborah Shajobi Oseghale, Nigerian University Pension Management Company Limited (NUPEMCO); Taiwo Aminat Ajayi, Alliance & General Insurance Plc; Temitope Hassan, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc; Tolulope Adetugbo, Quest Merchant Bank; Toyin Bashir, Banwo & Ighodalo; Uto Ukpanah, MTN Nigeria and Ayomipo Wey, UAC of Nigeria Plc.

Recognition plaques were formally presented to each awardee, with the ceremony framed not merely as celebration but as a commission: a call for each Custodian to deepen her governance practice, transfer knowledge, and widen the pathway for the next generation of women in governance roles.

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Chioma Mordi, CEO, Society for Corporate Governance, said, “Our commitment is not merely to acknowledge progress; but to intentionally spotlight those driving governance practices across Nigeria’s corporate landscape.”

The roundtable featured keynote remarks, a guest speaker address, and a panel discussion on emerging governance challenges including AI governance, third-party risk, and speak-up culture.

 

The speakers collectively reinforced a central argument: that inclusion must move beyond symbolism to become a structural and strategic reality in Nigerian corporate life.

The SCGN continues to champion the advancement of corporate governance standards across Nigeria. Through training, research, and initiatives such as the Custodians of Corporate Governance programme, the Society remains committed to building governance systems grounded in integrity, accountability, and long-term value creation.