Biography
Of a truth some are born great, others achieve greatness, while others still have greatness thrust upon them. But rarely do we have these three attributes combined so well in an individual, as is the case in our Dr. Erastus Bankole Oladipo Akingbola.
Born at Okeigbo on the 26th of October 1950, Erastus Akingbolaa had his early upbringing in Ondo State. He attended the famous Christ School, Ado Ekiti, where he finished with flying colours; and sought a job to assist his parents, preparatory to further studies. Fate smiled on him in 1971 when he secured appointment with Union Bank of Nigeria Ltd. As a Bank clerk, he proceeded soon after to register for a professional course in Banking. This he did on a part-time basis, while in service; and through diligent commitment he soon earned the Associate Diploma of the Institute of Bankers (AIB) London, by 1975.
He proceeded with determination to read for the Associateship Diploma of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators (ACIS). This he secured by 1981, while progressing steadily in his banking career.
Not content with his qualifications so far, Erastus Akingbola, now a Professional Banker, proceeded to enroll with the University of Lagos for a Post graduate course in Business Administration. By 1986, he had successfully completed the course, and bagged his Master of Business Administrations (MBA) in general Management. Other additional qualifications attained by our Dr. Akingbola include OPM Certificate of the Harvard Business School (2000), and a rather rewarding Diploma in Theology (2002).
Meantime, as his professional and career profile rose in the Banking and Management sectors, Erastus Bankole Akingbola, by dint of hard work and dedication, rapidly gained more affiliations with various professional bodies. For instance, he became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria in 1988; Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (1996); Fellow, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in 1998; Fellow, Institute of Directors (2005), more recently, Fellow of the Institute of Operations Research (2007), and most recently, Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Like his educational career, Erastus Akingbola’s work experience spans a wide but impressive range. From 1971 - 1977 he served with Union Bank of Nigeria Ltd, being involved mainly in Commercial Banking. Then he joined NAL Merchant Bank late in 1977 and got into an Investment Banking career. This lasted up to 1984 during which time he rose from the position of an Executive Assistant to the then Operations Manager (1977) to Senior Executive Assistant (1979); then Assistant Manager in the International Division (1982). By December 1984, Erastus Akingbola was promoted Senior Manager, International Operations and Correspondent Banking.
He served in this position up till February 1987 when he left NAL to join yet another Investment Banking giant, the First City Merchant Bank Limited, as Controller of Operations. The turning point came in February 1989 he took the momentous decision and joined three other investors to float the Intercontinental Bank Plc and become the founding Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Bank. Yes, of a truth, there comes a tide in the lives of men, which when seized, translates into glory. So it was with Erastus Bankole Oladipo Akingbola.
