Hajara Fola Adeola’s Giant Strides

Hajara Adeola, CEO of Lotus Capital Limited, Nigeria’s pioneer firm in Shari’ah-compliant asset management, private wealth management advisory services, and financial advisory services, has made a remarkable stride in the finance business in Nigeria.

Though a billionaire’s wife and very successful in her own rights and efforts, her modest way of life is not in doubt. Like her husband, Fola Adeola, whose contributions to Nigeria’s banking industry are well documented, especially as he co-established GTBank in the late 80s when he was in his 30s, Hajara, his adorable wife, has jumped into his corner.

With over 20 years’ experience working in top-tier global investment banks in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, Hajara has stepped up the plate with the coming of her Lotus Bank Limited, which secured a non-interest banking licence from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last week. Hajara’s Lotus Bank is the first non-interest bank to commence operations from South-West Nigeria with a focus to serve people of all faiths.

This follows the bank’s determination to deliver alternative options to interest-based banking and cater to the needs of the banked, unbanked, and underbanked population. Already, industry stakeholders have reportedly received the news with indescribable pleasure, given her pedigree as a top industry expert in Islamic fund management in Nigeria.

Before founding Lotus Capital, Hajara had worked with Arthur Anderson Consulting (now Accenture), UBS Warburg, BNP Paribas, and ARM Investment Managers. With solid academic qualifications, including MSc Finance (Durham University); MBA International Management (Exeter University), and BSc Pharmacology (King’s College, London), Hajara has been instrumental to the development of Islamic finance products in the capital market and the issuance of the Sukuk bond in Nigeria.

Despite her busy schedule as a financial big shot, Kogi State-born Hajara (nee Atta) still has time to look after her husband and their six lovely children, who are all doing well in their various careers.