Arnold Ekpe
Arnold Onyekwere Ekpe | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Nigeria |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, banking executive |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Group CEO of Ecobank (1996–2001, 2005–2012), Chairman designate of Dangote Sugar Refinery (from 2025) |
Arnold Onyekwere Ekpe (born August 1953) is a Nigerian entrepreneur and banking executive who held the position of group chief executive officer at Ecobank, a pan-African financial institution spanning from Togo through Nigeria to the Democratic Republic of Congo, between 2005 and 2012. As of June 11, 2025, he has been appointed Chairman designate of Dangote Sugar Refinery.
Early life
Born in Nigeria and having spent part of his early years in Cameroon, Ekpe completed his secondary education at King's College, Lagos in 1972. He pursued a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Manchester and subsequently earned an MBA from Manchester Business School.
Career
Ekpe's tenure as group CEO at Ecobank occurred in two phases: first from 1996 to 2001 and later from 2005 until 2012, during which he spearheaded the bank’s continental growth and steered it through the challenges posed by the Great Recession. Prior to his leadership at Ecobank, he served as vice-president responsible for West and Southern African corporate finance at Citibank. Between 2002 and 2003, he was the group CEO of United Bank for Africa (UBA), followed by a partnership role at African Capital Alliance, a private equity firm, until 2005.
In addition to these roles, Ekpe has held the honorary presidency of the Business Council for Africa and chaired Safire Luxembourg. From 2013 to 2016, he was chairman of Atlas Mara, an investment company established by former Barclays CEO Bob Diamond.
Currently, Ekpe acts as senior adviser to both Dangote Group and Equator Capital Partners (US). He leads Micro Cred France as chairman and serves on the boards of Crown Agents Bank (UK), Crown Agents Investment Management Ltd (UK), AVMS India, and Dangote Flour Mills Ltd in non-executive capacities. Furthermore, he is a trustee for Vision for a Nation and contributes to academic research initiatives at the University of Manchester.