Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria (RMBN) has appointed Dalu Ajene as its new Chief Executive Officer from November 1, 2022, just as he commits to facilitating greater foreign capital flows while working to deliver constructive solutions to leading businesses across critical sectors in Nigeria.

Outgoing RMB CEO, Emrie Brown said: “We are excited to mark 10 years of doing business in Nigeria by welcoming Ajene to his new role. He brings exceptional local and international investment banking expertise to our clients. His appointment also underlines our growth ambitions in Nigeria and across the continent.”

Ajene said: “I am humbled by the opportunity to take up this role at such a critical time for Nigeria. Like other countries, Nigeria is facing higher import costs, higher inflation, rising interest rates and dynamic macroeconomic conditions. But it is in these times that opportunities always present themselves. We are seeing clients position themselves to take advantage of the volatility and we are working with these clients to proffer solutions to navigate them through the challenges they face.”

He added that RMBN is well positioned to fund and advise Nigerian companies, but also help drive foreign direct investment into the country.

“Attracting capital is fundamental to the success of any economy. RMBN is well placed to work with investors to demystify doing business in Nigeria and also to facilitate capital flows.”

Prior to his new role, Ajene served as the head of client coverage at RMB in South Africa, responsible for client origination teams in South Africa, Broader Africa and the UK. He also served as Deputy CEO and Head of Investment Banking at RMBN, where he previously headed up the Corporate Finance business.

Over his 21 years of experience, he has executed over $15 billion worth of advisory, capital markets and financing transactions in several continents, including North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Ajene holds an MBA in Finance and Strategy from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Dartmouth College.