The biggest market stories of 2025 weren’t just about earnings or forecasts.
They are shaped by listed companies that managed to close some of the largest deals of the year
In 2025, eight of these companies stood out for sealing major deals, with a combined transaction value of N1.232 trillion
Nairametrics reported that between January and July alone, corporates issued around N1.58 trillion in commercial papers, up sharply from N763.4 billion in the same period in 2024, reflecting a 37% increase in raised funds.
Behind these deals was not just corporate ambition, but strategic leadership. Driving those capital‑market deals were the finance chiefs, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), whose job it is to steer corporate strategy, manage liquidity and set funding plans.
This story is not just about numbers; it is about the CFOs, the financial architects behind Nigeria’s biggest deals of 2025.
These CFOs played a major role in structuring deals, managing risks, and turning complex financial maneuvers into successful outcomes. Their expertise allowed companies to strengthen balance sheets and pursue strategic growth, all while maintaining investor confidence.
Here are the CFOs behind Nigeria’s biggest market deals of 2025.
Gbenga Fapohunda serves as Group Chief Finance Officer of Dangote Cement Plc, having joined the company in 2021 as Regional Chief Finance Officer for Nigeria before being promoted to Group CFO in 2022. In 2025, he oversaw deals totalling N149.7 billion.
Before joining Dangote Cement, Fapohunda held senior leadership roles across multinational companies. He was Executive Director and Chief Finance Officer for West Africa at Japan Tobacco International from 2018 to 2020, where he also served on the board of directors.
From 2016 to 2018, he was Chief Financial Officer at UPS in Nigeria, earning recognition as the best CFO among several countries. Earlier, he led finance operations for British American Tobacco, overseeing 12 countries and serving on its board, and held the role of Head of Internal Audit in Nigeria.
Fapohunda earned an MBA in Finance from London Business School between 2008 and 2010, receiving a full scholarship covering tuition and living expenses. He completed a Doctorate of Business Administration in Strategy at Rome Business School between 2020 and 2023 and holds a Doctor of Business Administration from the Eurasian Management and Administration School – EMAS Business School. He also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from the University of Lagos between 1998 and 2002, where he was recognized as the Most Valuable Player in the department’s soccer competition.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, the Institute of Cost Management Accountants, the Institute of Treasury and Financial Administration, the Institute of Credit & Risk Management, and the Nigerian Institute of Management.
