Board of Directors

Msgr. Prof. Dr. Obiora Ike - (Chairman/Director)

The Very Reverend Monsignor Professor Obiora Ike is a Roman Catholic Prelate of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu. Ordained a priest in July 1981 in Hohenems Austria, he studied Philosophy, Theology, Economics, Political Science and History in universities across five countries in Nigeria, Austria, the United Kingdom, France and Germany from 1975 – 1985. After graduation, with the doctorate in Systematic Theology/Catholic Social Thought, he returned to Nigeria in 1986 and was appointed to serve the Social ministry of the Church as Chairman of the Commission for Justice, Development, Peace and Caritas. He founded the research and development organ known as Catholic Institute for Development Justice and Peace (CIDJAP) and is Director and Chair of the Institute. Ike has served the Church as Vicar General; Vicar for Public Relations; Consultor, Curia Member, Chaplain for the Youth; Chaplain to the Catholic Women Organisation and the Holy Rosary College and currently is Parish Priest at St. Leo the Great Parish, Enugu.
He is active on the national and international scene with many research and practical initiatives to bridge the growing gap between faith and life, Church and Society and worked for several years as one of the experts at the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria. Professor Ike is the current President of the Club of Rome, Nigeria chapter; Founder and Chairman of over 20 non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) and a regarded philanthropist. Widely travelled and author of over 60 books, Ike has lectured in several universities worldwide and holds teaching positions with the Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt/M Germany as Professor of Social Ethics and African Studies and the Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu. Highly honored with Awards at international and local levels, Mgr Obiora Ike received in June 2010 the prestigious Heinrich Pesch Prize in Cologne, Germany for his outstanding contributions to the dissemination and practical application of Catholic Social Teaching in Africa. He thus became the first African to receive such Award. Pope Benedict XVI invited him to the Vatican in October 2009 to join the Second Plenary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Africa as a Synod Father. He is the second chairman of the Umuchinemere Pro-Credit Micro Finance Bank (UPMFB), having being so appointed by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting of the UPMFB Ltd in October, 2008.

Msgr. Dr. Anthony Anijielo - (Director)

Monsignor Anthony Anijielo, a prelate of the Catholic Church in Enugu Diocese was ordained a priest in Germany in 1980. He studied Theology in Austria and specialized in Fundamental and Moral Theology. He is at present the Chaplain of St. Mulumba’s Chaplaincy, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.

After studies abroad, he was appointed Secretary of Enugu Diocese during the time of the late saintly Bishop of the Diocese, Michael Ugwuja Eneja from 1985 - 1997. Widely read and versed in research, he has lectured Theology in the Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu and has served many Diocesan Committees as Consultor, Curia Member; Parish Priest of several parishes, vocations director and has been a Director of the Bank under the founding Bishop.

The Catholic Women Organisation (C.W.O), Enugu Diocese in acknowledgement and appreciation of his contributions to the growth and sustenance of the body gave him the Honour of Ochendo of C.W.O Enugu Diocese recently.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Geoffrey Aguigwo - (Director)

Rev. Fr. Dr. Geoffrey Aguigwo was admitted as a member of the UPMFB Board of Directors in December 2009, following the dignified expiration of the tenure of Mr. Peter Alexander Egom who represented the interests of the GBF in the Bank. Father Dr. Geoffrey Aguigwo represents the interests of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu on the Board.

With versed experience as an administrator, pastor, academic and diplomat, Dr. Aguigwo who is currently the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish, Uwani, Enugu has worked in several parishes including St. Paul’s Awkunanaw, Immaculate Conception Ugwuegede to mention but a few. He studied Church and Social Pastoral Administration in Germany and obtained the doctoral degree.

Besides Germany, Dr. Aguigwo made research visits to the United Kingdom and the USA and has a wide range of experience in financial management of projects as the former Chancellor of the Diocese. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Economic Commission; Lands Commission and the Procurator of Enugu Diocese.

Dame Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Agu - (Director)

Dame Mrs Ngozi Agu is a professional Accountant and the current chairperson of the Catholic Women Organisation (C.W.O) of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu with a group of faithful women numbering over 500,000 married persons.

She is a civil servant under the Enugu State government and works at regional and Local Government Council levels.

Married with children, her enormous services to the Church made the Bishop nominate her a pontifical honour by Pope Benedict XVI with the Papal Medal of Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (Cross of Honour).

Mrs. Agu is also a confidential and Special Adviser to Mrs. Clara Chime, wife of the Executive Governor of Enugu state, Barrister Sullivan Chime.

Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien - (Director)

Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien is the Founding President of a Lagos-based non-governmental organization, Growing Business Foundation (GBF), which champions the cause of sustainable economic development led by socially responsible businesses and individuals. She studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and carried out her research for the doctorate in Social Ethics at the Wolfgang Goethe University at Frankfurt/M, Germany.

She has promoted partnerships between governments, development agencies, rural communities, the public and private sector towards increasing the participation of the informal sectors of the economy within the larger framework of access to the formal sector.

Versed in investment management following leading positions held in some of the nations financial institutions, Ndidi worked as a Director with the Telecoms regulator at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) under Chief Ernest Ndukwe and is a consultant to various Ministries of Government.

She shares a passion to progress the advantages of Micro-finance services to the rural poor for the eradication of poverty in Nigeria and networks groups and communities within the country and is a leading shareholder of the Bank in both personal capacity and with shares of the Growing Businesses Foundation in the UPMFB. She has two children.

Mrs. Maria Nnenna Ekete - (Managing Director)

Mrs. Maria Nnenna Ekete is the Managing Director of Umuchinemere Pro-Credit Microfinance Bank Ltd, having been so appointed in 2007. She studied accounting in various academic institutions and universities within Nigeria and obtained the Masters degree.

As one of the first staff to be employed by the bank at its inception in 1995, Mrs Ekete has risen through the ranks within to become its managing director.

She has received several national and international training courses including Uganda at the Uganda Micro-Finance Union (2006) and the Pax Bank in Cologne, Germany following an internship there in the year 2009.

Nnenna Maria Ekete is a Fellow of Certified National Accountants of Nigeria and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). She is married and has a child.

Igwe Ralph C. Ani, KSJI - (Director in Attendance)

Igwe Ralph C. Ani, KSJI, was the first Nigerian Managing Director of the colonial conglomerate Coal Corporation of Nigeria (NCC), Enugu which was the foundation for the nation’s wealth potentials under the British.

He is an Engineer and a Technocrat, trained both in Nigeria and Britain and rose to become a highly respected public servant. After retirement and at his advanced age, his home community Ebe, Udi local government area of Enugu State elected him to be their traditional ruler.

It is an exalted position he still holds today as a first class traditional ruler in the State.

He is a business mogul, leading shareholder of the bank and a former Grand President of the Catholic international Order of Knights of St. John International (KSJI), Enugu Grand Commandery.