The board of First Holdco Plc has approved the appointment of Mrs Abiola Baruwa as the new secretary, replacing Mr Adewale Arogundade, who retires from the position from November 7, 2025, after 35 years.
The appointment of Mrs Baruwa was disclosed in a statement signed by the chairman of the financial services provider, Mr Femi Otedola, and made available to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The appointee is joining to board armed with over 20 years of extensive professional experience.
She started her career with one of the leading law firms in Nigeria, Olaniwun Ajayi & Co LP, Lagos in 2004 from where she moved to G.M.O Legal Practitioners as an Associate and was with the firm from 2005 – 2006.
Mrs Baruwa joined Sahara Energy Limited in 2006 as Legal Services Supervisor and thereafter transited into the financial services sector, starting with Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank) as a Legal Services Officer from 2008 – 2012.
In 2012, she joined FBNQuest Merchant Bank and rose to become Vice President, Debt Solutions.
During this period, she worked on a number of high-profile structured finance transactions in various sectors which included oil and gas, power and telecommunications.
Thereafter in 2017, she joined EcoBank as Senior Manager, Head of Company Secretariat and Head, Corporate Bank Legal Services. In 2020, she joined Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) as Company Secretary, where she also held the position of Company Secretary and Head of Legal, RMB Nigeria Asset Management till her latest appointment.
Mrs Baruwa graduated from Lagos State University, Ojo, with a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B Hons), and obtained a Barrister at Law (B.L) from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja and was called to the Bar in 2004.
She also holds a Master’s Degree in International Finance Law (LLM), with Merit, from Kings College London, United Kingdom. She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), the Institute of Directors, Nigeria (IoD) and honourary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIBN) and has attended a number of leadership programs both locally and overseas.