HighLife with Kayode ALFRED
It is a new dawn at various Nigerian embassies around the world, with the recent appointment of career and non-career ambassadors. The celebration is doubly so as this batch of high-ranking diplomats is especially eye-catching. Opunimi Akinkugbe, the appointed ambassador to Greece, is a case in point.
The ambassadorial appointment of Opunimi ‘Nimi’ Akinkugbe has been well received across Nigeria’s demographic groups. As a corporate Amazon with a far-reaching net of influence and an innumerable fan base to boot, Akinkugbe’s relations in Greece will serve as more than just the discharge of ambassadorial duties.
Although a businessperson through and through, Akinkugbe’s forte extends beyond the daily perusal of predictive charts and board meetings. With her education (a Bachelor’s Degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and an MBA from Lagos Business School), Akinkugbe has made a name for herself in the banking sector especially.
Her trail-blazing career began at Stanbic IBTC Bank, where she served as general manager and head, Private Client Services; at Barclays Bank, she served as regional director for West Africa and heading the Wealth and Investment Management Division, as well as being the chief country officer for Nigeria. Her banking career spanned over 20 years and culminated in perfecting her celebrated consulting proficiency.
Akinkugbe is not at her peak yet, but she has managed to push herself onto the dais of renown, as a bestselling author (The A-Z of Personal Finance), an advocate of personal financial literacy Advocate, CEO of Bestman Games Limited, adept pianist, and a lot of many other things to many people and industries. There is no debating Akinkugbe’s merit or her many patriotic gestures. Thus, that she will bring pride and bearing to her office as an ambassador to Greece is a foregone issue.
