Crownrise Finance Plc has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors as part of efforts to reposition the company for growth and innovation in Nigeria’s financial services sector.
The company, in a statement on Sunday, 17 May 2026, said the new board brings together experienced professionals from the finance, insurance, legal and investment banking sectors to strengthen its leadership structure.
According to the statement, the appointments are aimed at steering the organisation into “its next phase of repositioning, growth and innovation”.
The firm described the new board as a blend of “fresh visionary leaders and seasoned returnees”, adding that the combination would provide institutional memory and forward-looking expertise.
Leading the new board as Chairman is Biodun Balogun, a founding shareholder of the company and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
The company said Balogun, who is also the Executive Chairman of Allied Computers Group, brings more than three decades of experience in audit, finance and information technology.
Also appointed to the board is Asiwaju Taiwo Adeniji, a development and investment banking expert with over 30 years of experience at the African Development Bank and the Africa Finance Corporation.
The statement noted that Adeniji recently retired as Senior Executive Director at AFC and has extensive experience in infrastructure financing and industrial projects across Africa.
“His deep expertise in infrastructure financing and industrial projects across 20 African countries provides the Board with unparalleled continental insight,” the statement noted.
Akinola Odunsami, an insurance and risk management specialist, was also named on the board.
Crownrise Finance Plc said Odunsami, a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance and Banking Institutes in the United Kingdom, has held leadership positions at LASACO Assurance Plc and Smoothway Insurance Brokers.
The company added that his knowledge of the insurance and microfinance sectors would further strengthen its risk management and strategic direction.
Also joining the board is Mr Lanre Bakare, a Chartered Accountant and alumnus of the University of Oxford.
Bakare, who previously worked with FBN Quest and Pan African Capital Holdings, currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Tradecycle SCF Limited.
According to the statement, he has “played a pivotal role in the rebuilding and restructuring of Crownrise Finance Plc”.
The company said Oladipupo Rufai also returns to the board, adding that the legal practitioner specialises in corporate finance, fintech and project finance.
“His understanding of both legal and financial services ensures that Crownrise maintains its hallmark of strict adherence to regulatory standards,” the statement added.
Also returning is Otunba Babatunde Rufai-Lariba, the pioneer Managing Director of Crownrise Finance Plc.
The company described Rufai-Lariba as “a cornerstone of the Crownrise legacy”, noting that he has more than 30 years of experience in the Nigerian banking and finance sectors.
The firm congratulated the newly appointed directors and expressed confidence that the board would provide strategic leadership for the company’s future expansion and transformation.
