Ehigiamusoe returns as Board Chairman of LAPO Microfinance Bank

LAPO Microfinance Bank on Tuesday, announced the appointment of Godwin Ehigiamusoe, as chairman of its Board of Directors, after retiring as the managing director of the bank in 2019.

According to CBN guidelines, after serving as managing director/CEO, an individual must observe a three-year cooling-off period before being eligible to become the Chairman of the same bank.

Ehigiamusoe succeeds Osaretin Demuren, who provided excellent leadership for the institution particularly in consolidating the microfinance bank’s leadership position in the sub-financial sector.

He brings into the position his rich experience and institutional memory that will be of immense benefits to LAPO Microfinance Bank and national financial inclusion efforts.

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Ehigiamusoe is an acknowledged microfinance practitioner who has for over three decades pioneered several initiatives that have contributed to the expansion of the frontiers of finance in Nigeria and beyond.

In the late 1980’s, he initiated Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) as a non-governmental response to the spike in poverty as a result of the implementation of the Structural Adjustment Programme-SAP. LAPO has evolved into a number of mutually reinforcing institutions in microfinance, healthcare; insurance, micro-leasing; technology and agriculture.

He earned a doctorate in policy and development studies with emphasis on policy instrument and financial inclusion. He is a chartered microfinance banker, and Fellow, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.

Ehigiamusoe sees his appointment as an opportunity to build on the achievements of LAPO Microfinance Bank and contribute to deepening financial inclusion.

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.