Emmanuel Ikazoboh stands out as a seasoned institutional leader with deep expertise in financial governance, capital market reform, corporate leadership, and technology-enabled connectivity.
Emmanuel Ikazoboh Biography
Emmanuel Ikazoboh was born in Kano, Nigeria, in 1949 and raised in an Edo family. He attended St. Thomas Catholic Primary School in Kano and Western Boys High School in Benin City before earning a diploma from Yaba College of Technology in Lagos. He went on to complete postgraduate studies at the University of Wales (Bangor), and later obtained an MBA in Financial Management and Marketing from Manchester University Business School in 1979.
Ikazoboh qualified as a UK Chartered Accountant (ACA) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). This strong academic and professional foundation set the stage for a distinguished career in accounting, consulting and finance.
Career Beginnings at Deloitte
Ikazoboh began his professional career with Akintola Williams & Co (Deloitte Nigeria), then one of the country’s leading accounting firms. He quickly rose through the ranks, serving first as the Managing Partner for Deloitte’s francophone affiliates in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire.
By 2007 he had become Chairman and CEO of Deloitte West & Central Africa, overseeing operations across multiple countries until 2009. In this period he also worked with Deloitte in the UK – notably as a partner at Deloitte & Touche in Dartford – gaining international perspective . Through these roles, Ikazoboh built a reputation for strong leadership and corporate governance, managing large teams of accountants and auditors across the region.
Capital Market Reforms: NSE and CSCS Administrator
In 2010, the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) appointed Emmanuel Ikazoboh as Interim Administrator of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS). In this regulatory mandate, he spearheaded sweeping reforms of Nigeria’s capital markets. He restructured management at both institutions, overhauled the equities trading and brokerage processes, and tightened corporate governance practices.
Under Ikazoboh’s stewardship, the NSE implemented new governance frameworks and improved operational efficiency. The goal was to “create an enviable Stock Exchange in Africa”. By rebuilding investor confidence and professionalizing market infrastructure, his tenure helped lay the groundwork for the Exchange’s later demutualization and modernization.
Banking and Financial Sector Leadership
After his capital markets role, Ikazoboh took on senior leadership in banking and financial services. He was named Group Chairman of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), the Pan-African banking group; serving from 2014 until 2020. Ecobank, with operations in over 30 African countries, benefited from his strategic oversight during challenging years. (For example, he guided the group through recapitalization efforts and regulatory changes, assuring shareholders of future dividend payments as the balance sheet strengthened.) [Source: NairaMetrics]
In addition, Ikazoboh became Chairman of ARM Pensions Managers Ltd, one of Nigeria’s largest pension fund administrators. His roles at Ecobank and ARM Pensions underscored his influence in shaping Nigeria’s financial sector.
Corporate Governance and Board Roles
Throughout his career Ikazoboh has also served on numerous corporate boards, applying his governance expertise to industry. He has been a Board Director at Dangote Cement Plc since 2014 and, in 2025, was announced as Chairman of Dangote Cement (succeeding founder Aliko Dangote).
He is likewise an Independent Non-Executive Director of Nampak Packaging Limited (South Africa). In addition to these marquee roles, he has sat on the boards of other Nigerian companies – for example, Multi-Trex Integrated Foods Plc (Director) and United Nigeria Textiles Plc (Director).
- Dangote Cement Plc: Independent Non-Executive Director since Jan 2014; appointed Board Chairman in July 2025. [Source: Dailypost]
- Nampak Packaging Ltd (South Africa): Independent Non-Executive Director.
- Other companies: Board Director at Multi-Trex Integrated Foods and United Nigeria Textiles, among others.
Ikazoboh’s board service extends to chairmanships, notably at the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) where he served as Chairman following his SEC appointment. His broad portfolio of corporate governance roles reflects a commitment to professional oversight and transparency in African business institutions.
Chairman of Tizeti Network Limited
In June 2022, Emmanuel Ikazoboh was appointed Board Chairman of Tizeti Network Limited. Tizeti is a Lagos-based telecom startup and “West Africa’s pioneer solar-based internet service provider”. The company uses solar-powered Wi-Fi towers to deliver high-speed, unlimited internet access to homes and businesses in Nigeria (and is expanding into Ghana).
As Chairman, Ikazoboh has championed Tizeti’s mission to bridge the digital divide. He noted that Tizeti’s expanding market share in Nigeria’s “unlimited internet market” provides “huge opportunities to tackle digital exclusion for millions in the region”.
Under his leadership, Tizeti is pursuing aggressive growth in wireless broadband, aiming to connect underserved communities with affordable, renewable-powered internet. His involvement brings significant financial and governance experience to a technology-driven enterprise, underscoring his vision of digital connectivity as a foundation for Africa’s future.
International Sustainable Development Engagement
Beyond Nigeria, Ikazoboh maintains a global profile through sustainable development work. He serves as the International Vice-Chairman of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), a leading Canada-based think tank. In this capacity he contributes to IISD’s mission of integrating economic growth with environmental stewardship worldwide. (The Ecobank Foundation profile of Ikazoboh also highlights this role.)
His work with IISD aligns with his interest in long-term development: balancing growth with sustainability is a theme both in his corporate leadership and his advisory roles. It also connects to his emphasis on renewable-energy technology at Tizeti, showing how his vision spans finance, technology and climate considerations.
Leadership Philosophy and Vision for Africa
Ikazoboh’s leadership style emphasizes integrity, innovation, and sustainable growth. He is known for driving institutional reforms from capital markets to corporate boards to government agencies. For example, he was a member of Nigeria’s Presidential Committee on Government Restructuring, charged with streamlining ministries and cutting governance costs. This reflects his commitment to efficient, accountable institutions.
In his public statements, he stresses strategic vision and community impact. Upon accepting the Dangote Cement chairmanship, he said he would lead with “integrity and vision, emphasizing sustainable growth, operational efficiency and innovation”. He added that his vision for Dangote Cement (and by extension for African industry) is anchored on “operational excellence, strategic expansion, sustainability, innovation, and community engagement”. These principles; operational rigor, technological innovation, and social consciousness, capture Ikazoboh’s outlook. They signal a future where African financial systems and digital networks are robust, inclusive and sustainable.
Throughout his 40-plus year career, Emmanuel Ikazoboh has leveraged professional discipline and a reformist drive to impact Nigeria’s financial infrastructure. From modernizing the stock exchange to expanding pan-African banking and connecting homes via solar-powered internet, his work reflects a consistent vision: build strong institutions and technologies that uplift African economies.
His leadership thus embodies both the technical acumen of a chartered accountant and the forward-looking aspirations of a technologist and statesman, aiming to position Africa for long-term prosperity in the digital age.
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