An acknowledged and highly respected microfinance practitioner, Dr Ehigiamusoe, is the Managing Director of LAPO Microfinance Bank Ltd., a leader in Nigeria’s microfinance industry controlling over 25% of the microfinance market, with a client base of over 3 million customers and 436 offices spread across all the states of Nigeria and operations also in Sierra Leone. Dr. Ehigiamusoe began his engagement in rural finance as a Cooperative Officer in the mid-1980s, going on to establish a pro-poor development organisation, Lift Above Poverty Organization, LAPO, the fore-runner to LAPO Microfinance Bank Ltd. in 1987
Over the years, he
has served on various Private Sector, State/Federal Government and Multilateral Development Agency Committees on Micro-Credit, Financial Inclusion, Project and Loan Appraisal, Sustainable Development and Job Creation; and has severally been engaged as a consultant to the CBN, State Governments and Multilateral Institutions in the area of Microfinance Scheme Development and Microfinance Policy and Regulatory Guidelines formulation. He is the Country Anchor for Women World Banking (WWB) Programme for Building of Microfinance Institutions in Africa. Dr. Ehigiamusoe has attended capacity enhancing courses at Lagos Business School, INSEAD Business School, IESE Business School and Kennedy School of Government and holds a Master’s Degree in Development Studies. He has authored several books - Women Credit and Empowerment (1996) Understanding NGOs (1998); Poverty and Microfinance (2000), Issues in Microfinance: Enhancing Financial Inclusion (2011) and Policy Instrument and Financial Inclusion: A Comparative Study of the Nigerian and Ethiopian Microfinance Policy and Regulatory Framework. In 2015, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. As Chairman of GOXI, Dr. Ehigiamusoe brings to the Board deep- knowledge, practical experience and years of successful work with the low income population.
Shina Gbadegesin holds (MBA) in marketing from Lagos State University and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Insurance from Lagos State Polytechnic. He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (ACIIN). He has also at different times attended various training on Innovation and Business at LBS.
He began his insurance career at Custodian & Allied Insurance Limited in 1997 where he worked in various capacities before resigning as Head, Manufacturing & Trading Group in 2003, to join Guardian Express Assurance as one of the pioneer management team. He led various Marketing assignments at Guardian Express and rose to the position of Head, General
Business Operations. Based on his excellent performance in Guardian Express Assurance, he was invited by a team of professionals led by the former vice chairman of Guardian Express Assurance to set up First Call Options Marketing limited. He doubled as C.O.O. Risk Management of the Group and CEO of Aza Insurance Brokers – A subsidiary.
Prior to joining GOXI Microinsurance Ltd as the Managing Directors/CEO, He worked in Cornerstone Insurance Plc for 9years where he has led and made significant contribution to Direct Corporate Market and SMEs Business Development opportunities
Mrs. Thorpe has a B.Sc in Information Technology and Networking from the Middlesex University and MSc. Computer and Information Networks from the University of Essex. She currently works as Head of Alternative Channels Group in LAPO Microfinance Bank Ltd where she is saddled with the responsibility to develop, coordinate and manage business generation from new channels for the organisation. Mrs Thorpe
heads GOXI Board Technology Committee and work with her team to set a Technology direction for the organisation.
Mrs Henrietta Agun holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Journalism from the University of Nsukka and MBA from the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State. Mrs Agun began her career in 1974 with Bendel Insurance Company, Benin City and rose to the position of Managing Director of the Company in 1987 during which period she returned the company to profitability. Since leaving Bendel Insurance, Mrs Agun returned to private business and maintained alongside active engagement in Community Development and Service working on Women and Youth Development issues. As Chairman of Women Action International (WAI), an organisation which she founded, Mrs Agun worked with UNODC/UNICRI as Chairman NGO Coalition Committee on Trafficking in Edo State in the area of Prevention and Combating of Human Trafficking and Child Labour through Awareness Creation, Micro-credit and Microfinance (2003-2011), served as a member of the State Committee on Human Trafficking in Edo State(2003-2007) served as a member of the Action Committee on Aids, sits on the Governing Council of LAPO Institute for Microfinance and Enterprise Development and is a member of the Project Team Promoting Women Empowerment by Building Social Work Capacity by the Association of the Universities of Canada and Uniben. In 2007, her expertise and work was recognised with her appointment as Special Assistant to the Governor of Edo State on Human Trafficking and Child Labour from 2007-2009. A respected community leader and active member of the Catholic Religious Community, Mrs Agun is current Chairperson of BEPCWO Education Committee of the Catholic Women’s Organisation of Nigeria, in which capacity she has trained over 250 Catholic Girls in leadership. She has attended various local,
national and international seminars and courses and is the recipient of several Local International and Religious Awards in recognition of her contribution to the development of Society.
Mrs. Agun brings to GOXI proven administrative and management skills, knowledge of insurance business management, access to a robust network of business professionals and women organisations, practical experience in community mobilization and years of work with the Women population.
