The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the appointment of Clara Oloniniyi as chairman and Aweh Duke Ebikeme as independent director on the Board of Directors of Infinity Microfinance Bank Limited.
Oloniniyi is a Microfinance Banker with significant industry experience spanning over two decades in Nigeria. She is co-founder/ pioneering MD/CEO of Infinity Microfinance Bank since 2001 when she teamed up with her business partner to start Infinity Community Savings. The venture was a modernized version of local savings and loan scheme with some computerized record keeping.
Before then, she had worked with various corporates like Public Finance Group and Hotel
Support Services among others. Through dint of hard work and resilience, the Community Savings metamorphosized into Infinity Community Bank in 2005, became a Unit Microfinance Bank in 2007 and a State Microfinance Bank in 2013. Under her watch, Infinity Microfinance Bank grew from a Unit Microfinance Bank with Paid-up capital of N20ml in 2007 to one of the leading State Microfinance Banks in Lagos with Share Capital in excess of One Billion in 2020.
She stepped down from the MD/CEO position of Infinity Microfinance Bank in 2020 but was reabsorbed to the Board in 2024 to enable her continue to support the Bank with her hands-on industry and market experience. Clara Oloniniyi is a pragmatic leader whose contributions have continued to support the growth trajectory of Infinity Microfinance Bank till date. In October 2024, she was appointed by the Board of Infinity Microfinance Bank as new Chairman of the Bank and the appointment was approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria in March 2025.
Clara Oloniniyi is an astute manager of human and material resources with insightful
understanding of various Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) businesses. She has demonstrated uncommon capability to lead and manage business growth under unstable business climate such as characterizes Nigeria’s business environment.
Over the years, she supported the Microfinance Banking sector by making herself available to support various Committees of the National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB). She also served as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Association in 2014-2016 and 2016-2018 respectively.
She has HND from Yaba College of Technology, Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Delta State University and Diploma in Credit Administration from Graduate School of Credit Administration (GRASCA). She is an Associate qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria under the Microfinance Certification Programme (MCP) and a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (FICA). She is enriched with some of the best local and international trainings on Microfinance. She is married to Pastor (Dr.) Tope Oloniniyi and blessed with children.
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Aweh Duke Ebikeme retired as a Deputy Director with the Central Bank of Nigeria where he worked in many Departments over a period of 28 years between 1990 and 2018. He was a Bank examiner in the Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department (OFISD). He also served in branch operations and other Senior positions as an Executive of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
His working career began in 1987 with The Rivers State College of Education Rmuolumini, P.H, as an Assistant Lecturer. He later moved to The University of Port Harcourt as a Lecturer11 before joining the services of the Central Bank of Nigeria in 1990 as a Senior Supervisor 1 where he rose through the ranks to the position of a Deputy Director.
Whilst in the services of the Central Bank of Nigeria, he managed strategic positions and led several Ad hoc Committees and Strategic Business Units including Banking Operations Services and Accounts Office. He was appointed Head, Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department, (OFISD) Central Bank of Nigeria, Enugu before retirement as a Deputy Director.
Ebikeme’s academic journey began with an NCE Business studies qualification from College of Education, Benin-City 1982. He later bagged B.Sc. Bus. Education (Accountancy) from Rivers State University of Science and Technology in 1986 and an MBA, Accounting from University of Portharcourt 1988. He is a Member of Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) 2003, and Associate Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (AICMC) 2019.
He has a strong passion for Organizational renewal, value creation, leadership, accountability, transparency and corporate governance. He is exposed to relevant local and international training in corporate governance, strategic Management, Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Evidence Based policy formulation and analysis. He is a scholar of Bank Examination Management School, Corporate Governance for Emerging Economies, Motivational Leadership and Building Successful Teams.
Aweh Duke Ebikeme is a member of Trustees of Egbema-Opudis Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) which is a product of Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) Act 2021. He is on the Board of City-Code Mortgage Bank Limited and is married with children.
