Sky Capital Appoints MD, Non-EDs for Skye Bank Sierra Leone

Sky Capital & Financial Allied Limited, the financial services subsidiary of SIFAX Group,has appointed a new Managing Director and three non-executive directors for one of its subsidiaries Skye Bank, Sierra Leone.

After the approval by the Bank of Sierra Leone, Mr. Abiola Bolaji has assumed office as
the substantive Managing Director while Mr. Ayoku Liadi, Mr. Abdul Sheku Kargbo and
Arch. Abel Onomake have assumed the positions of non-executive directors of the bank.
Abiola Bolaji is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife and has two Masters
degrees in Accounting and Financial Management (Distinction) and Corporate Finance
from the ICMA Centre, Henley Business School, University of Reading, United Kingdom.
He began his professional career as an Office Assistant in Development Finance office of
the Central Bank of Nigeria in Uyo as a Youth Corp member before joining Universal
Trust bank as a Relationship Officer in 2003. Between 2006 and 2020, Abiola worked
with Guaranty Trust Bank, Access Bank and Stanbic IBTC rising to become a Regional
Manager and managing 10 branches of the bank located in Ogun and Oyo states. He has
received numerous awards for his outstanding performance both professionally and
academically.
Ayoku Liadi is an accomplished financial expert with over 25 years of progressive
experience. He had served as the Deputy Managing Director, UBA Nigeria where he was
in charge of about 500 branches of the bank with deposits of more than 3.5 trillion
naira. He also served as the MD/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank Sierra Leone between 2011
and 2013 where he recorded outstanding achievements and led the bank to become the
most profitable bank in 2013. Ayoku’s exceptional leadership also earned the bank the
prestigious KPMG award for the Best Customer Service Bank in 2012. Ayoku holds a B
Sc. in Business Management from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, an ACA from the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a Master’s degree in Marketing
from the University of Lagos.

Abdul Sheku Kargbon is an Executive Director of the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency and the immediate past board chairman of UBA Sierra Leone. He has a vast work
experience in policy and strategy formulation locally and internationally. Kargbo is a LLM
graduate of Birmingham City University, UK; Master of Arts in Human Rights,
Globalization and Justice – University of Keele, UK and LLB (Hons) from the University of
Warwick in the UK.
Abel Onomake is a seasoned architectural consultant who has worked on key designs
and supervision of architectural and engineering projects in Nigeria, Sierra Leone,
Liberia and The Gambia. He holds a B.Sc and M.Sc in Architecture from the University of
Ife and a Diploma in Valuation and Estate Surveying from the Architecture and Surveying
Institute, Wiltshire, United Kingdom. Between 2005 and 2021, he is the Managing
Director of Ideas Limited, a West Africa-based consulting firm with offices in Sierra
Leone and Nigeria.
The appointment of the four (4) new Board of Directors brings to seven (7) the directors
of the bank including the Acting Chairman Mr. Brimah Conteh; Chief Adekunle Oyinloye
and Mr. Akinremi Akinwale Oladipo (The Executive Director). The Multitude of resident
directors is a part of the Bank’s strategic focus on domesticating the governance,
products and services of the Bank to meet the local requirements of the country’s
economy.
While congratulating the new appointees, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Chairman, SIFAX Group,
said the desire to make sustainable impact in the financial sector across West Africa was
responsible for the quality of leaders appointed to manage the financial institutions in
Sierra Leone.
He said: “SIFAX Group is synonymous with the delivery of best value and excellence. We
know that quality workforce and experienced board would drive our vision of becoming
the most desired financial services brand across the West Coast. We are pleased with
these appointments and convinced they possess the requisite knowledge and
experience to deliver on the vision.
“I have no doubt that these new leaders will catapult Skye Bank, Sierra Leone to the top
in the country. We will provide all the necessary support needed for them to succeed in
our quest to become a Pan-African financial institution”.