Board of Director
Ambassador Otepola graduated with`B.Sc (Political.Science) from University of Lagos in 1981, he also has a Masters degree in International Law & Diplomacy at the same University in 1990. M.A (Econ) Economy Policy: UN Institute for Economic Development & planning, Dakar, Senegal. 2002
He worked with the ministry of foreign affairs and held the following positions: second secretary, permanent mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, Geneva, 1986-1989, he became Counselor, Embassy of Nig, Budapest 1993-1998, he was special assistant to the undersecretary for Finance and Administration, ministry of foreign affairs 2002-2003. He became Minister, Nigeria High Commission, Ottawa 2003-2007, and members of the committee for the reform of the ministry of Foreign Affairs 2007. Director adviser to Director-General NASRDA 2007-2009, Director, office of the Head of the civil service of the federation 2009-2011 and was appointed as consul general to Shanghai, China in July 2011. Finally, he was appointed as Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2013 and retired in the year 2015.
Mr. Dada Kunle is MBA holder at the Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi in the year 2000; also obtained his PGDM in the same University in 1999. He has Diploma in Accounting in the year 1986 at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaira. He is a Microfinance Certified Banker (MCIB)
He started his Banking career in 1989 with Lion Bank PLC and later joined Chartered Bank in 1992-2001 and work in all aspect of banking operation duties; he resigned as the Head of Operations and later moved to the defunct Magnum Trust Bank which later through merger metamorphosed to Sterling Bank as Branch Operation Coordinator. He became a Branch manager in 2002 and rose to the post of regional business head in 2012 to 2014. Kunle Dada is the Chairman of Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar. Former member Osun State Teaching Service Commission.
He stands out as a Change agent by virtue of his Management experience and the quest to improve everyone around him. His man management ability ensures he get along with others well. An excellent team player, who leads from the front and work hard to achieve maximum productivity with his team members. Dada Kunle is the MD/CEO, a shareholder and also a pioneer member of IRL Microfinance Bank
He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Naval Cadet of 32 Regular Course. He had his Midshipman Training onboard NNS RUWANYARO and OBUMA from January to November of 1985. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy as a Sub-Lieutenant of the Executive Branch on 4 January 1986.
He attended the Federal University of Technology PPOwerri from 1985 to 1991 where he obtained a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering (Communication Engineering). The very senior officer has undergone series of naval training and courses. These are the Sub- Lieutenant Technical Course from 1991 to 1992 and the Officer Long Course (Communications) from 1995 to 1996 both at the NNS QUORRA; the Principal Warfare and Principal Warfare Instructors Courses in 1997 and 1999 respectively at NNC Onne.
He also attended, the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in 1996 and from 2001 to 2002 for his Junior and Senior Staff Courses respectively. He was at the National Defence College, Abuja between September 2010 and August 2011 for the Fellowship of the Defence College (fdc). Thereafter, he attended the University of Ibadan where he obtained a master’s degree in Strategic Studies. He was at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University for the Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management. Rear Admiral Adeniran has held various appointments both ashore and afloat. They include; Training Coordinator, Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS) Onne from 1996 to 1998; Principal Warfare Officer NNS EKUN from 2000 to 2001 and Officer-in-Charge of Communication Information Technology Station, Port Harcourt in 2001.
He was also the Staff Officer 2 and Staff Officer 1 Communications at the Headquarters, Joint Task Force Operation HARMONY, Calabar from 2002 to 2003. Furthermore, he held the appointments of Naval Assistant to the Commandant National War College Abuja from 2003 to 2005, Ship Communications Officer NNS ARADU from 2005 to 2006 and Staff Officer 1 Training at Naval Headquarters in 2006. From 2007 to 2008 he was the Deputy Director Training at the Naval Headquarters and Superintendent of Arms at the Naval Ordnance Depot from 2008 to 2010. From April 2012 to January 2013 he was the Commanding Officer of Command Naval Drafting, Command Admin Officer Headquarters Western Naval Command from January 2013 to May 2014, Director of Logistics Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) from May 2014 to May 2015, Commander NNS JUBILEE from May 2015 to June 2016 and Commander Naval Drafting from July 2016 to August 2018. From August 2018 to 4 January 2021, he was Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, when he retired from the Service of the Nigerian Navy. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1991, Lieutenant Commander in 1996, Commander in 2001, Captain in 2006, Commodore in 2011 and Rear Admiral with effect from January 2017.
He has been decorated with the Forces Service Star (FSS), the Meritorious Service Star (MSS), the Distinguished Service Star (DSS) and General Service Star (GSS). Rear Admiral DA Adeniran is a Fellow Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), a registered member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria (FSM). He is also a member of the American Society for Quality(ASQ), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Project Management Institute (PMI). Rear Admiral Adeniran is married with children. His hobbies include studying people, discussing, walking and golfing.
Mr Adegboyega Adelani Adegun, a graduate of Economics from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, he later obtained a Master’s in Agricultural Economics from Nigeria’s Premier University, University of Ibadan before going ahead to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. Mr Adegun, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered of Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) started his banking career in 1992 as a credit officer with StanbicIBTC Bank before moving to Magnum Trust Bank Limited (now Sterling Bank Plc) in 2001 where he retired as a General Manager in charge of Corporate and Investment Banking in Sterling Bank Plc in January 2023 after 31 years Banking experience, out of which 18 years was in Senior/ Top Management Cadre.
While in Sterling Bank, Adegboyega, managed a number of units and departments including Concessionary and Multilateral Finance, Structured Trade Finance, Oil and Gas Desk, Energy Desk and Resolution Bank. He also attended several courses in Nigeria and abroad in Credit Analysis, Project Finance, International Trade Finance and Management Courses including the Senior Executive Management programme at the INSEAD, Fontableau, France. Mr. Adegun has acquired vast experience in both local and international fund raising, credit analysis and remedial loan management.
Brigadier General Olajide Laleye (retired) was born in Benin City but hails from Lagos State. He attended and graduated with an American High School Diploma from Hillcrest School Jos in 1983 and thereafter proceeded to the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) in 1984 as an Officer Cadet. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1989 as an Infantry Officer and rose to the rank of Brig Gen before his retirement in February 2016.
Brig Gen Laleye has several military qualifications, medals and awards amongst which are Directing Staff of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College(psc+), Fellow of the Combined Defense College Cameroon (fcwc), Forces Service Star (FSS), Meritorious Service Star(MSS), and Distinguished Service Star (DSS). For his one year tour of duty as a UN Military Observer in Morocco/ Western Sahara, he was awarded the MINURSO Medal. He was also awarded the Field Command Medal (FCM) and the Corps Medal of Honor (CMH) amongst others from the Nigerian Army.
Brig Gen Laleye has a BSc (Hons) in Physics (NDA 1988), Masters in Public Administration (MPA, 2008 Ahmadu Bello University) and a Master of Science in Defense, Security and Disaster Management from the University of Yaounde II Cameroon (2011). His notable military appointments were Senior Operations Officer, Operation RESTORE HOPE(2006- 2008), Chief Instructor Airbone Wing Nigerian Army School of Infantry(2008-9), Director of Records Nigerian Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary(2009-10), Commander 81 Division Garrison(2011-12), Commander 1 Division Garrison(2013), Director Army Public Relations(2014-15), Commander 4 Brigade Nigerian Army/Commander Sector 1 Operation PULO SHIELD(2015), Chief of Staff HQ Infantry Corps and Centre(2015) and Senior Research Fellow Nigerian Army Resource Center(2015-16).
General Laleye’s operational experiences span his participation in the United Nations Mission in the Western Sahara (1993-1994), Operation HARMONY IV BAKASSI PENINSULA (1997 – 2002), Operation RESTORE HOPE NIGER DELTA (2006 – 2008), Operation LAFIYA DOLE NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA (BOKO HARAM 2013 – 2014) and Operation PULO SHIELD (2015).
Brig Gen Laleye is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (ANIPR) and a Fellow Nigerian Institute of Management Consultants (FNIMC). He is multi lingual (English, Yoruba, French and Hausa). He is a founding Director of Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation, MD/CEO Dynatic Sec-Ops & Admin-Log Services Ltd, Consultant to Azura Power Holding Ltd (APHL), Consultant to Azura Power West Africa Ltd, Consultant to Amaya Capital Ltd.
Mr. Simeon Akinyemi Abidoye is currently the Chief Finance Officer of Ekocorp Plc (The Eko Hospitals). Prior to this period, he had worked with various banks (Afribank Nigeria Plc, City Express Bank Limited, NBM Bank Limited and Sterling Bank Plc) that spanned over 16 years. He left banking as the Ag. Regional Manager for South West Region of Sterling Bank in 2011. He also trained with both Z. O. Ososanya & Co (Chartered Accountants) and Baker Tilly Nigeria (Chartered Accountants)..
Mr. Abidoye studied accountancy and obtained Higher National Diploma (HND) from The Polytechnic, Ibadan in 1989. He later obtained B.Sc. (Banking & Finance) from Olabisi Onabanjo University in 2005. He holds Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science (M.Sc) Finance from both University of Ibadan and University of Lagos respectively..
Mr. Abidoye is a fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
Mr. Abidoye is a former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development in Osun State in 2010 and the Chairman of the Board of Livingtrust Mortgage Bank, Osogbo (2010).
Mr. Dairo is an accomplished IT professional (DCIO. CTO.CIO. ITSM) offering over 20years of demonstrated career success developing and executing operational strategies to promote organizational growth and optimal utilization of emerging technologies.
He is a graduate of B.sc in Applied physics/Electronics University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. He is also a member of computer Professionals of Nigeria (MCPN). He started his professional carrier as system Engineer at SENIL Computers 1992-1996. He joined Magnum Trust Bank in 1996 and has held various roles within the banks IT department.
He was instrumental to the identification, qualification and negotiation with acquisition, merger and ultimate synergy of 5 Banks to form Sterling Bank Plc in the year 2006. Mr. Dairo Lade was appointed as one of the officers in IRL Investment Finance ltd.