Wole Olajide
Tokunbo Abiru is a highly skilled professional and experienced banker spanning over two decades. He is the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Skye Bank, Nigeria. Tokunbo is an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program and Lagos Business School. He holds a B.Sc in Economics from Lagos State University and is a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He is also an Honorary Senior Member of The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). With a distinguished career in banking spanning about 26 years, Tokunbo has held positions in both Nigeria’s public and private sectors.
Tokunbo Abiru was, in 2016, was appointed the Group MD/CEO of Skye Bank, after the Central Bank of Nigeria approved the reconstitution of the bank’s board. Tokunbo Abiru started his career at Guaranty Trust Bank, where he worked for 10 years. He then spent 14 years working at First Bank of Nigeria Limited, and at various times there, he was the relationship Team Leader, Retail Banking; Business Development Manager and Group Head, Corporate Banking.
In 2011, Mr Abiru was appointed the Honorable Commissioner of Finance for Lagos State under then Governor, Babatunde Fashola. In 2013, he resigned to take up a position as the Executive Director, Corporate Banking of First Bank of Nigeria Ltd.
Under his watch, Skye Bank Plc has recorded tremendous success being a leader with focus for excellence.
Skye Bank Plc. is one of Nigeria’s leading retail and commercial banks with over 373 branches and cash centres across Nigeria offering premium financial services, with subsidiaries in Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Guinea.
The bank commenced operations in 2006 and has become one of the foremost financial institutions in the Nigerian banking industry, playing a pivotal role in the success of many businesses, creating wealth and promoting entrepreneurship.
Skye Bank has earned a reputation for exceptional customer service. The bank has invested significantly in the acquisition and deployment of Information Technology for enhanced customer experience across its multiple service delivery channels including mobile banking, ATMs, POS and online platforms.
In 2014, Skye Bank won the bid to acquire 100 per cent ownership stake of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in Mainstreet Bank Limited; a deal which placed the bank as one of the top four banks in Nigeria in terms of customer reach, balance sheet size and profitability.
Mainstreet Bank’s operations has since been fully integrated into Skye Bank’s operations in what has been considered as one of the smoothest and hitch-free integration processes recorded in the Nigerian Banking industry.
Skye Bank Plc is a product of the merger of five legacy banks as a result of the banking industry consolidation and recapitalization exercise of 2005. The legacy banks were Prudent Bank Plc, EIB International Plc, Bond Bank Limited, Reliance Bank Limited and Co-operative Bank Plc.
Following the merger and the seamless integration of the disparate resources, personnel, IT infrastructure, culture and procedures, the bank has since grown into a formidable financial institution showing strong growth and profitability and providing unique financial solutions to a wide customer base both in Nigeria and in the three West African subsidiaries of Sierra Leone, Gambia and Guinea.
Skye Bank is quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) with over 450,000 diverse shareholders with a shareholding structure that puts no more than 5% in the control of any one individual or company.
Skye Bank operates in all the key market segments of the Nigerian and West African economy serving a wide customer base in the public and private sector, including large and small corporate organisations, SMEs, professional groups and institutions. Its main business areas are:
Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking, Investment Banking, International Operations & Trade Services, Treasury, Maritime and Aviation, Telecommunications, Project & Structured Finance.