Prior to his new appointment, Olagunju served on the BOI’s board as Executive Director, Business Development.
According to a statement, previously, he was the Company Secretary of BOI for about 16 years and was General Manager, Strategic Planning and Corporate Communications between 2007 and 2012.
“In these capacities, he was one of the architects and strong drivers behind BOI’s outstanding turnaround and transformation into one of Africa’s best Development Finance Institutions (DFI),” it added.
Olagunju’s appointment followed the expiration of Ms. Evelyn Oputu’s eight-year tenure as BOI’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Commenting on his appointment, Olagunju said: “It is a great privilege to take on the role of acting MD/CEO of the BOI. I want to thank Ms. Oputu for her outstanding work over the past eight years and the commendable achievements of BOI under her leadership.”
According to the statement, under Oputu’s tenure, BOI saw increased and continued involvement in national development, including the management of 25 initiatives on behalf of federal and state governments, private sector entities, foreign agencies and international organisations.
Continuing, the acting CEO said: “BOI will continue to build on the solid foundation that has been laid under Ms Oputu’s transformative leadership style.”
He added that BOI would continue to operate in line with best practice to enable it to effectively contribute to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP).
Furthermore, the statement quoted the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Minister Olusegun Aganga to have commended Oputu for her performance in office.
In line with BOI’s mandate, Mr Olagunju will be required to ensure continuity with respect to the ongoing and diligent implementation of NIRP and NEDEP.
Olagunju, 55 years old, holds Bachelor of Arts (1981) and Master of Social Science (1984) degrees from the University of Lagos, as well as a professional certificate in Investment Appraisal and Risk Analysis from the Queen’s University, Canada.