Mezuo Nwuneli

Position: Managing Partner
Categories: Impact First Team, Private Equity Team

Mezuo has more than two decades of experience across private equity, investment banking, and corporate finance. He launched Sahel Capital’s debut fund, the Fund for Agriculture Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN), in 2014, and the Social Enterprise Fund for Agriculture in Africa (SEFAA) in 2021. He provides oversight on the deployment of investment capital and the firm’s portfolio.

Mezuo was one of three partners that set up AFIG’s debut US$72 million generalist fund in 2008, working out of the Dakar office in Senegal. Mezuo started his career with the corporate finance team of the Sabre Group in Dallas in 1995, worked in J.P. Morgan & Co’s Mergers and Acquisitions Group in New York, and then subsequently in a range of finance roles with SecTrust (now Afrinvest), Ocean & Oil Holdings, and MTS First Wireless. Mezuo co-founded AACE Foods (a food processing company) and Sahel Consulting (an agriculture focused management consulting firm) in 2010, and subsequently Sahel Capital in 2013. He serves on the credit committee of LAFCo, which provides working capital to SMEs in the agribusiness sector in Africa, backed by KfW and AgDevCo; and is on the investment committee of FAFIN.

Mezuo is an Eisenhower Fellow and an Archbishop Tutu Fellow. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.Sc. Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University. Mezuo received the 2021 Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award, the highest honor given by the school. He was also recognized in 2019 as the alumni Entrepreneur of the Year by the Harvard Business School Alumni Association of Nigeria and Impact Investor of the Year by the Impact Investors Foundation.

Mr. Nwuneli serves on the boards of the AACE Foods, Coscharis Farms, Crest Agro Products, First World Communities, Ladgroup, L&Z Integrated Farms, Sahel Capital, and Sahel Consulting. He previously served on the board of Nagode Industries. He is the Chairman/Co-Founder of AACE Foods; Chair of the Strategy Committee at First World Communities; and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee at Crest Agro Products. He is on the Nigeria National Advisory Board for Impact Investing, and is one of the founding members and a director of the Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, Nigeria (“PEVCA”).

Mezuo has more than two decades of experience across private...

Mezuo Nwuneli

Managing Partner

Olumide Lawson

Position: Partner
Categories: Private Equity Team

Olumide has about two decades of work experience, spanning various roles in financial accounting, treasury management, corporate finance, and private equity in the food and agriculture sector.

Olumide was previously the Chief Financial Officer at Lotus Capital, a leading Nigerian ethical investment firm. He started his career at Guaranty Trust Bank Plc., and from there joined the Financial Control Unit of Asset & Resource Management Company Ltd. (now ARM Investment Managers). He also worked in senior finance roles at Ocean & Oil Holdings, MTS First Wireless, and Legacy Realties Limited. He serves on the Board of Directors of Dayntee Farms, L&Z Integrated Farms, Ladgroup Ltd, and Polyfilm Packaging. He also serves on the investment committee of FAFIN.

Olumide is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®), Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA®), member of the UK Society of Investment Professionals (UKSIP); and an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA). He has a B.Sc. Accounting degree from Obafemi Awolowo University.

Olumide has about two decades of work experience, spanning various...

Olumide Lawson

Partner

Oluremi Bodunrin

Position: Operating Partner
Categories: Private Equity Team

Remi has over more than two decades of work experience within the FMCG sector, and more specifically in manufacturing and supply chain roles at Nestle, Reckitt Benkiser, Unilever, Coca Cola Hellenic, and Orbit Chemicals. He has worked within food and agriculture private equity since 2018.

Remi started his career in 1995 as a trainee engineer in the power sector. He subsequently joined the FMCG industry in 1997 and moved through a range of roles: process control & automation; engineering projects in sorghum malt extract, cereals, and bullion seasoning cubes; manufacturing management in charge of cocoa-based beverages, carbonated beverages, and personal care products; and supply chain management across a broad range of agricultural different value chains. He has lived and worked in Nigeria, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia. He serves on the Board of Directors of Ladgroup Ltd and Polyfilm Packaging.

Remi is an SCMX-7 cohort of The Coca-Cola Company, Supply Chain Manager Excellence Program. He has a B. Eng. from the University of Ilorin, and an MBA in Production & Operations Management.

Remi has over more than two decades of work experience...

Oluremi Bodunrin

Operating Partner

Deji Adebusoye

Position: Principal
Categories: Impact First Team

Deji has more than a decade of work experience, of which 7 years were in operating roles in the FMCG, agrochemicals, and seed sectors. Since joining Sahel Capital in 2016, he has led investments and provided portfolio oversight across a broad range of crop value chains.

Deji previously worked with Syngenta Crop Protection AG and Proctor & Gamble; and has lived and worked in Nigeria and Switzerland. He sits on the Board of Directors of L&Z Integrated Farms and Coscharis Farms Ltd.

Deji is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA®) and is also certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP). He holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (First Class Honours) from Obafemi Awolowo University, and an MBA from INSEAD Business School.

Deji has more than a decade of work experience, of...

Deji Adebusoye

Principal

Solène Prince-Agbodjan

Position: Principal
Categories: Impact First Team

Solene has over 20 years of experience across various impact investing, operating, and risk management roles in Agribusiness (portfolio management, risk management, credit management, collateral management, and technical assistance). She also has Impact and Agri experience investing in small and medium enterprises & cooperatives across Subsahara Africa.

She previously worked as Investment Manager with Oikocredit and Injaro Investment Limited- ABC Fund.

She is a graduate of Paris -Dauphine University – DEA Concepts et Méthodes du Diagnostic d’Entreprise and holds a Masters Degree in Economics-Paris Dauphine University.

Solene has over 20 years of experience across various impact...

Solène Prince-Agbodjan

Principal

Tosin Ojo

Position: Principal
Categories: Private Equity Team

Tosin has more than a decade of work experience, spanning investment research, asset management and financial advisory. Prior to Sahel, Tosin had worked with Chapel Hill Denham, CardinalStone and led Verboheit – a financial advisory firm she co-founded, where she led engagements to provide financial advisory, business planning, valuation and capital raising services to clients in the agribusiness, retail & renewable energy sectors.

At Chapel Hill Denham, she was an investment manager for the women-focused impact investment platform (SME.NG) and also worked as VP in the CEO’s office, providing analytical support on strategic projects. While at CardinalStone, she led the investment management team managing over $25million in stocks, eurobonds, money market instruments and direct real estate investment products. She also led sell side research analysts and held engagements with international buy-side analysts, portfolio managers and board level executives of listed companies.

Tosin is a CFA charter holder. She also holds a B.Sc. in Microbiology (First Class Honors) from Obafemi Awolowo University, and an MBA from Oxford’s Said Business School.

Tosin has more than a decade of work experience, spanning...

Tosin Ojo

Principal

Nouss Bih

Position: Principal
Categories: Private Equity Team

Nouss is a Principal at Sahel Capital, where she leads investment activities of the equity fund from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Prior to joining Sahel, Nouss had 6 years of experience as a private equity professional investing in small and medium businesses and start-ups in Africa. She was recently managing investments in Côte d’Ivoire for Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), an impact investment group dedicated to financing and supporting the growth of SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa. Before joining I&P, Nouss worked in investment banking, primarily in Chile, where she participated in structuring export credit loans and structured trade finance facilities for large Chilean corporates.

Nouss holds an MBA from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and a Master in Management from ESCP Europe, Paris.

Nouss is a Principal at Sahel Capital, where she leads...

Nouss Bih

Principal

Oladele Shekete

Position: Director, Sustainability and Impact
Categories: Corporate Services

Oladele oversees Sahel Capital’s Technical Assistance Facility and the firm’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy and engagement with portfolio companies. He has more than a decade of work experience leading ESG due diligence and implementation projects in West Africa, and primarily within the private equity and venture capital industry.

Prior to joining Sahel in 2017, he worked as the ESG Manager at the West Africa Venture Fund LLC in Liberia for 7 years. As the ESG Manager, he implemented sustainable approaches and procedures within the fund’s portfolio companies, and managed business and operational activities across multiple sectors (agribusiness, logistics, manufacturing and real estate). Oladele started his career in construction and project management with Total Consult in 2006 and later worked in integrated waste management and recovery with Intol-Jpi. He has lived and worked in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.

Oladele has a Diploma in Civil Engineering from The Polytechnic Ibadan, B.Sc. Geology from the University of Ibadan, and a M.Sc. Environmental Management from the University of Lagos.

Oladele oversees Sahel Capital’s Technical Assistance Facility and the firm’s...

Oladele Shekete

Director, Sustainability and Impact

Dolly Ohanyere

Position: Human Resources
Categories: Corporate Services

Dolly is a result-oriented human resource professional with over a decade of cross-industry experience supporting medium to large organizations to build human capacity, create and implement effective people management strategies and best practices.

Prior to joining Sahel Capital, she worked with Bloomberg TV Africa as HR manager for Kenya, South Africa and London bureaus, Head of Corporate Services for Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank (formerly GT Homes) and Head of Human Resources for Reeve Energy Limited, an Oil and Gas servicing company. Dolly has an MA in Human Resource Management, BL in Law, MA in Human Resource Management from Middlesex University, London and LLB from Imo State University, Owerri. She is an associate member of CIPD, member, NBA and fellow, IMC.

Dolly is a result-oriented human resource professional with over a...

Dolly Ohanyere

Human Resources

Omobolaji Etti

Position: ICT Manager
Categories: Corporate Services

Bolaji offers information, communication, and technology (ICT) solutions to the agricultural, construction, finance, and advertising industries. He has over 10 years of experience in this field. He currently serves as the ICT Manager where he is responsible for ICT Policy Development, Graphic Design, System Troubleshooting, Video Editing, and Website Management. For the sister company, Sahel Consulting, he handles ICT Policy Development, Graphic Design, Network Management, System Troubleshooting, Video Editing, and Website Management. At the African Food Changemakers Institute Ltd, the non-profit arm of Sahel, he also performs graphic design and tech-related duties. He ensures that the ICT team enhances internal communications and increases brand awareness by streamlining communication channels and teamwork with technology. He has successfully created websites, integrated technology solutions, and created brand collaterals on numerous projects over the years in Sahel.

Bolaji formerly held positions at Skylinks Satellite Communications Limited as an IT support officer, Shixels Studios Limited as a digital marketing officer, and Worldbay Technologies Limited as a digital marketing executive.

He holds a Bachelors’ degree in Economics from Babcock University and possesses qualifications in professional fields such as desktop publishing, network-centred computing, and digital web authoring from NIIT; web design, as well as Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) on Windows, from GNT.

Bolaji offers information, communication, and technology (ICT) solutions to the...

Omobolaji Etti

ICT Manager

Charles Osei

Position: Financial Controller
Categories: Corporate Services

Charles oversees finance and accounting at Sahel Capital. He has over 13 years of experience in accounting and financial control across different industries, and across multiple countries in West Africa. Prior to Joining Sahel, he worked as the Finance Manager for Zest Weg Group Ghana Ltd, a global manufacturer of Electric Motors based in South Africa, and was responsible for financial reporting, compliance, and Tax. He was also responsible for managing receivables and accounts of clients of the company in over ten countries in West Africa. He previously worked in different capacities at Ideal Capital Partners, Oak Plaza Hotels, and Trasacco Estates Company Limited. He has an M.Sc. in International Banking and Finance from the University of Salford, Manchester, UK; and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of Ghana. He is a Chartered Account and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), UK.

Charles oversees finance and accounting at Sahel Capital. He has...

Charles Osei

Financial Controller

Yemisi Iwasanmi

Position: Senior Associate
Categories: Impact First Team

Yemisi is a credit risk professional with over a decade of work experience within the financial industry. She partners with the business development team to create a portfolio of investments with focus on impact and sustainability.

Prior to joining Sahel Capital in 2021, she worked with Sterling Bank for 13 years as a Credit Risk Analyst. She worked on various projects within Agriculture, Oil and Gas, Transport, Manufacturing and other viable sectors.

Yemisi has a B.Sc. Accounting from the University of Lagos. She is also an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

Yemisi is a credit risk professional with over a decade...

Yemisi Iwasanmi

Senior Associate

Tosin Ekpeti

Position: Senior Associate
Categories: Impact First Team

Tosin is a Finance and Investment professional with over 5 years work experience in audit, taxation and accounting. Her experience spans across various sectors including Oil & Gas, Health, Aviation and Agriculture. She worked closely on value creation initiatives at the portfolio companies strengthening and restructuring the finance function across board.

Tosin currently works as an Investment Associate, engaging in deal origination, deal execution and providing support for portfolio management.

She is an associate member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University.

Tosin is a Finance and Investment professional with over 5...

Tosin Ekpeti

Senior Associate

Adedamola Olabintan

Position: Associate
Categories: Private Equity Team

Adedamola is an investment professional with over four years work experience spanning all aspects of the investment process.

Prior to joining Sahel Capital in 2021, she was Team Lead, Financial Advisory in the Investment Banking and Capital Markets Division of Emerging Africa Capital Group. In this role, she was involved in a number of debt and equity capital raise transactions for clients in different sectors.

She is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ekiti State University.

Adedamola is an investment professional with over four years work...

Adedamola Olabintan

Associate

Gabriel Adebanjo

Position: Associate
Categories: Private Equity Team

Gabriel joined Sahel Capital in 2022 prior to which he worked at United Capital Plc as a Senior Transactor with the investment banking division for four years where he executed various projects across the Capital Markets and Structured/Trade Finance desks. He is a Student Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), UK and holds a B.Sc in Economics from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife.

Gabriel joined Sahel Capital in 2022 prior to which he...

Gabriel Adebanjo

Associate

Nikita Khemani

Position: Senior Analyst
Categories: Private Equity Team

Nikita is an investment professional with over three years work experience in the Alternative Investments space. Within the Sahel investment team, she focuses on investment analysis, deal structuring, and execution.

Prior to joining Sahel Capital in 2020, she was an Associate Analyst at Alpha Alternative Asset Advisors Private Limited (India), where she focused on assessing businesses on the verge of bankruptcy.

Nikita has a B.Com. Accounting and Finance degree from the University of Mumbai (India).

Nikita is an investment professional with over three years work...

Nikita Khemani

Senior Analyst

Shaibu Mashud

Position: Analyst
Categories: Private Equity Team

Shaibu is an analyst with Sahel Capital.

Prior to joining Sahel Capital in 2022, he served as an Internal Audit Intern at The Capital Group Limited (Ghana), where he focused on testing, recommending, and overseeing implementations of Internal Controls in departments.

Shaibu has a B.Sc. in Business Administration (First Class Honours) from Ghana Communication Technology University and was awarded the Best Graduating Student in Accounting.

Shaibu is an analyst with Sahel Capital. Prior to joining...

Shaibu Mashud

Analyst

Johnson Adah

Position: Admin Officer
Categories: Corporate Services

Johnson manages daily office operations at the Sahel Capital office in Lagos. In this role, he provides essential support for all teams and ensures seamless coordination of activities within the office.

Johnson has a degree in Accounting from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

Johnson manages daily office operations at the Sahel Capital office...

Johnson Adah

Admin Officer