Ms. Okiemute Akoko is a seasoned legal and investment professional with over 20 years of cross-sectoral experience spanning investment banking, fund raising, advisory and fiduciary services, and the oil and gas industry. She has played pivotal roles in capital markets, upstream energy transactions, and corporate governance across Africa.

She was the pioneer CEO of Rusumo Fund Managers Limited, a SEC-regulated securities trading and asset management firm. As Partner and General Counsel at Platform Capital, she advised on complex investment transactions, including a landmark $40 million investment by a leading global fund manager into one of Africa’s largest travel companies. Under her legal and strategic leadership, Platform Capital managed direct investments exceeding $100 million.

Her investment banking expertise was sharpened at Synergy Capital Managers, where she helped raise over $250 million in capital and managed over $400 million in AUM, with investments across sectors including power, data infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing.

In the energy space, Okiemute was pioneer General Counsel and Executive Director at Duport Midstream Company Limited, leading legal and regulatory efforts in the development of Africa’s first Integrated Energy Park. Her oil and gas experience also includes a high-impact role as Head, Legal and Commercial at Sahara Energy Fields Limited, where she led upstream legal operations and contributed to increasing the company’s assets from one marginal field to eight blocks across West Africa, growing production to 10,000 barrels per day.

She has served as a non-executive director on several boards across sectors including oil and gas, manufacturing, agribusiness, and financial services, leveraging her legal and entrepreneurial acumen to drive corporate governance and strategic growth.

Ms. Akoko holds a Double Honours B.A. in Education and English, a Postgraduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice (UK), an LL.M in Petroleum Law and Policy, and is a Barrister at Law called to the Nigerian Bar. She also holds an MBA from the TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program—a partnership of NYU Stern, London School of Economics, and HEC Paris.