Institute of Business Diplomacy and Financial Management honours Experience Akhigbe with Fellowship Award

By Ugo Aliogo

A distinguished Nigerian renewable energy finance and infrastructure expert, Mr. Experience Efeosa Akhigbe, has been awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Institute of Business Diplomacy and Financial Management (IBDFM), further cementing his reputation as a leader in the energy finance and infrastructure advisory sector.

Akhigbe’s expertise and dedication have earned him recognition from several esteemed institutions. Now, his induction as a Fellow of IBDFM adds another milestone to his illustrious career.

IBDFM, a professional body established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 with approval from the Federal Ministry of Education, honors exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to business diplomacy and financial management in Nigeria. Akhigbe was inducted in March 7th 2020 at a ceremony held at Royal Tropicana Hotel, Niger Street, Kano State, alongside other distinguished professionals, including Professor Kaletapwa G. Farauta, Professor Ibrahim Danjuma, Professor Ibrahim Umar, HE Lami Ahmadu Fintiri, Bello Johnson Oluwatoyin, Bala Pela Aliyu, Clement Pius Zirra, Abdulbaqee B. Ango, Shola Fadahunsi, Dr. Abdulkareem Faossiyat Olanike, Abdulkareem Isa Ogirima, Ahmadu Bello Mamza, Olayinka Paul Folorunsho, and Efionayi Osakpamwan Prosper, PhD.
Speaking at the induction ceremony yesterday, Dr. Sukana Danjuma Tusha, Registrar and Secretary to Council of IBDFM, congratulated the newly inducted Fellows on their admission into the Institute’s prestigious Fellowship. He emphasized that the Fellowship represents the highest professional grade and is conferred only on individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievements and made significant contributions to the advancement of business diplomacy and financial management.
Akhigbe’s professional journey reflects sustained excellence across multiple dimensions of financial management and business diplomacy. At PricewaterhouseCoopers Nigeria, where he served as Senior Associate in the Capital Projects and Infrastructure division specializing in Energy Finance, he led the structuring of major renewable energy and infrastructure financing projects for clients across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. His achievements include creating sophisticated financial models that assisted Nigerian energy generation companies in securing mezzanine financing for expansion projects, negotiating the sale of Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas’s building under a Build, Operate and Transfer arrangement that delivered substantial cashflow improvements, conducting comprehensive financial analysis for investment company expansion into Nigeria’s agricultural sector, and reviewing major debt finance structures for African Finance Corporation’s funding of a 500,000 tons per year Merchant Grade Phosphoric Acid production plant in Egypt.

Prior to his tenure at PwC, Akhigbe transformed financial reporting infrastructure at Ecobank Nigeria as Treasury Operations Associate, developing advanced financial models and management information systems that fundamentally improved executive decision-making capabilities. At Zenith Bank Nigeria, he established the institutional framework for annual budgeting and forecasting, coordinating strategic financial planning across multiple departments and achieving exceptional levels of accuracy that became a benchmark for financial discipline within the organization.

His induction followed a rigorous evaluation process conducted by a panel of ten assessors comprising members of the Institute’s Governing Council and seven eminent academic experts.

Expressing his appreciation for the recognition, Akhigbe emphasized his commitment to advancing excellence in renewable energy finance and sustainable infrastructure development in Nigeria and across Africa. He noted that the Fellowship would strengthen his ability to contribute to policy development and professional practice in the critical areas of energy finance, infrastructure advisory, and strategic financial management. His recognition as an IBDFM Fellow confirms his influence and leadership in the fields of renewable energy finance and infrastructure development.