Few careers cut across as many sides of the investment conversation as that of Otunba (Dr.) Bimbola Ashiru, whose professional experience spans banking, government and institutional investment. As Chairman of Blackcod Asset Management Group and Director of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Ashiru brings more than three decades of experience to Africa Breakfast Convos (ABC) 2026, where he will speak on the forces shaping investment and sustainable economic growth across the continent.
The fourth edition of the ABC will take place on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the World Trade Center in New York, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81), against the backdrop of expanding intra-African trade under AfCFTA.
Ashiru’s corporate leadership has included four years as Group Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, a position he held from June 2022 to June 2026. He remains a Director on the company’s board, where he continues to contribute to the oversight of an investment group with interests spanning real estate, hospitality, energy, agriculture and financial services. His work with Odu’a has given him a direct view of the opportunities and challenges involved in managing investments across multiple sectors.
Before his corporate leadership roles, Ashiru spent more than three decades in banking, holding senior positions across private, institutional and public-sector banking. He was also Group Head of Public Sector at Stanbic IBTC Bank, where his work brought him into close contact with government and institutional finance. That experience sits alongside his later roles in investment and asset management, giving him an understanding of capital from both the banking and investment sides.
His experience in government adds another dimension to that perspective. Ashiru served two terms as Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry between 2011 and 2018, where he worked on policies and programmes focused on attracting investment, supporting industrial development and improving the state’s business environment. He holds qualifications in marketing, purchasing and supply, as well as a master’s degree in strategic management, and is a Fellow of several professional institutions, including the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
Ashiru will join Hackim Abdul, Director of Citi’s Public Sector Group for Africa, and Yasamin Alttahir, Director of Global Marketing, Communications and External Affairs at The King’s Trust International on a panel that will navigate the next decade of opportunity for Africa. Stephanie Busari, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SBB Media and a former CNN correspondent, will moderate the discussion on Africa’s growth opportunities, investment needs and global economic position.
Kayode Akintemi, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of News Central TV; Akunna Cook, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Next Narrative Africa; Claudine Moore, Managing Director for Africa at Allison Worldwide; and Ayeni Adekunle, Chief Executive Officer of BHM Holdings, will also speak at the event.