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Ademola Abere

@ademolaabere

I build and scale agent banking, payment, and distribution networks that expand financial access.

Canada
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What I'm looking for

I'm looking to lead channel, distribution, digital payments, or financial-inclusion initiatives where I can scale customer access, build strategic partnerships, strengthen risk and operations, and deliver sustainable growth.

I've built and scaled agent banking, payments, and distribution networks across Nigeria's banking sector. At Stanbic IBTC Bank, I expanded agent-network penetration from 11,000 to more than 23,000 agents in two years and drove 10x transaction-volume growth.

I improved active-agent performance from 35% in 2023 to 87% in 2025 through agent engagement, operational policies, training materials, and performance frameworks. I also implemented risk controls and compliance monitoring aligned with regulatory requirements.

At Airtel SmartCash Payment Service Bank and Lotus Bank, I led nationwide acquisition, strategic partnerships, agent tiering, liquidity initiatives, and end-to-end agent banking frameworks. At Lotus Bank, I recruited more than 2,000 agents within two months of launch and reached a 60% active-agent ratio.

Earlier at FirstBank Nigeria, I helped recruit more than 153,000 agents, process over one billion transactions, and generate more than ₦15 billion in revenue in 24 months. I've also grown premium credit-card adoption, merchant-acquiring utilization, and retail and corporate banking portfolios.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

FirstBank Nigeria Limited logoFL

Team Lead, Access & Distribution, Underserved Markets

FirstBank Nigeria Limited

Jan 2019 - Feb 2022 (3 years 1 month)

Implemented strategic marketing initiatives increasing visibility and adoption of financial inclusion services through Agent Banking. Contributed to recruitment of over 153,000 agents and processing of over 1 billion transactions valued at approximately ₦24.6 trillion, generating over ₦15 billion revenue in 24 months.

FirstBank Nigeria Limited logoFL

Product Manager, Premium Credit Cards

FirstBank Nigeria Limited

Feb 2017 - Dec 2018 (1 year 10 months)

Developed adoption strategies for credit card products using market analysis and PESTLE assessments. Increased adoption of VISA infinite credit cards from 300 to 1,050 within nine months and boosted sales revenue by 50% through cross-selling and upselling.

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology logoLT

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

Master of Business Administration, Finance

Completed an MBA in Finance at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in 2013.

Federal University of Technology logoFT

Federal University of Technology

Bachelor of Technology, Food & Industrial Microbiology

Earned a Bachelor of Technology in Food and Industrial Microbiology from Federal University of Technology, Akure in 2002.

AP

Axelos Global Best Practice

PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner, Project Management

Certified as a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner.

VS

Visa Business School

Card Program Management Level 1, Card Program Management

Completed Card Program Management Level 1 certification.

MA

MasterCard Academy

Principles of Fraud Management for Issuers and Acquirers, Fraud Management

Completed Principles of Fraud Management for Issuers and Acquirers training.

FA

First Academy

Strategic Marketing, Sales and Relationship Management, Marketing, Sales and Relationship Management

Completed training in Strategic Marketing, Sales and Relationship Management.

FA

First Academy

Digital Strategy, Innovation and Social Marketing Program, Digital Strategy, Innovation and Social Marketing

Completed Digital Strategy, Innovation and Social Marketing Program.

XT

XGD Facility Tour

Electronic Product Development and Management, Electronic Product Development and Management

Completed Electronic Product Development and Management training.

VS

Visa Business School

Build a Profitable Card Portfolio, Card Portfolio Management

Completed Build a Profitable Card Portfolio training.

FA

First Academy

Effective Writing and Communication Skills, Writing and Communication

Completed Effective Writing and Communication Skills training.

Tech stack

Software and tools used professionally

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