First HoldCo Plc has revealed the appointment of Mrs Abiola Baruwa as its new Group Company Secretary. The announcement, shared on NGX, signals an important shift in the company’s leadership.
The Board of Directors, chaired by Mr Olufemi Otedola, CON, approved Mrs Baruwa’s appointment, effective November 7, 2025. She will succeed Mr Adewale L.O. Arogundade, who is set to retire after an illustrious 35-year tenure with the First HoldCo Group.
Mrs Abiola Baruwa brings over 20 years of extensive professional experience to her new role. Her career began in 2004 at Olaniwun Ajayi & Co LP, one of Nigeria’s premier law firms. She later served as an Associate at G.M.O Legal Practitioners from 2005 to 2006 before joining Sahara Energy Limited as Legal Services Supervisor in 2006.
Transitioning to the financial services sector, Mrs Baruwa worked at Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank) as a Legal Services Officer from 2008 to 2012. She then joined FBNQuest Merchant Bank in 2012, rising to the position of Vice President, Debt Solutions. During her time there, she played a pivotal role in high-profile structured finance transactions across sectors such as oil and gas, power, and telecommunications.
In 2017, Mrs Baruwa joined EcoBank as Senior Manager, serving as Head of Company Secretariat and Head of Corporate Bank Legal Services. In 2020, she moved to Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Nigeria, where she held the dual role of Company Secretary and Head of Legal for RMB Nigeria Asset Management until her recent appointment at First HoldCo Plc.
Mrs Baruwa holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B Hons) from Lagos State University and a Barrister at Law (B.L) from the Nigerian Law School, where she was called to the Bar in 2004. She also earned a Master’s Degree in International Finance Law (LLM), with Merit, from King’s College London. A member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria, and an Honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIBN), she has attended numerous leadership programs both locally and internationally.
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