Rev. Msgr. Dr. Professor Obiora Ike - (Chairman)

Rev. Msgr. Prof. Obiora F. Ike is a Catholic Priest of Enugu diocese ordained in 1981 in Austria. He studied philosophy, economics, political history and theology in several universities including Nigeria, Austria, the United kingdom and France and has several academic degrees and doctorates. Founder and Director of the Catholic Institute for Development Justice Peace and Caritas (CIDJAP) which is a leading organ for the empowerment of people in these parts. He was elected Chairman of the Bank in 2007. He has been a primary promoter /supporter and co-founder of the bank at inception and was the co-ordinating director of the UP-MFB until 2007.

Appointed professor of Social Ethics and African history and Studies in 1993, Ike has held teaching appointments within Nigeria, the USA and Europe including the Theologische Facultiet, Tilburg in The Netherlands and at the Faculty of Theology, University of Frankfurt, Germany where he holds a position promoting students for the doctorate. A man of many parts, pastor, academic, teacher, development activist, social ethicist, human rights crusader, founder of NGO’s and self help initiatives, prison chaplain, motivator, Monsignor Professor Obiora Ike has a great passion for education and economic empowerment of the poor and has worked hard to promote these at both rural and urban centres.

He is author of over 60 academic titles and is a known publisher and writer. Currently, he sits on the Boards of over 20 organisations internationally and locally including the Public Policy and Reaserch Abuja, Child Defence Foundation, HURILAWS, Commonwealth Education Fund; Enugu Development Trust Fund (EDTF); German-Nigeria Contacts Cologne; Commission for Justice Development and Peace, and is President of the Club of Rome, Nigeria Chapter.


Nnenna Maria Ekete, CNA, MNIM - (Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer)

Nnenna Maria Ekete holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) Certificate in Accountancy from the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, (1996); a Post Graduate Diploma, PGD, in Banking & Finance from the Imo State University, Owerri, (2001); and Masters in Business Administration, MBA, in Banking & Finance from the Imo State University, Owerri, (2002). She became a fellow of the Certified National Accountants of Nigeria, CNA, in the year 2002. She is also a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management.

As a pioneer staff of UP MFB since its inception as UCB in 1995, she has served the bank as Credit Officer, Manager Micro Credits Pogrammes, General Manager, rising through the ranks to become the Managing Director in 2007. Her experience in grass roots micro-finance banking cuts across various levels of operations such as retail, assets management, investments, credit, micro and group lending. Mrs Ekete has undergone several training programmes organised by the CBN and leading financial sector Organisations within Nigeria and abroad including the Uganda Micro-Finance Union at Kampala in 2005. She is happily married .


Dr. Ndidi Nnoli Edozien - (Co-ordinating Director)

Dr. Ndidi Nnoli Edozien, graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science( B.Sc); graduate of the United world College of the Atlantic, Wales; and holder of certificates in Investment Management from the Institute of Investment Management and Research, UK, she holds a Doctorate degree in Philosophy of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany with first class honours in Social and Economic Ethics. Dr Ndidi Nnoli has held senior positions in several of Nigeria’s leading financial and public sector institutions including the Sec-Trust, Lagos, the Bank for Orden und Mission, Idstein Germany and was Director of Strategy, Nigerian Communications Commission, Abuja until 2007.

Author of the newly published work “Ownership and Management structures in the Economy- African Traditional Values applied to modern issues of sustainability and the Corporate Governance Function”(2007).She is the President and Founder, Growing Businesses Foundation (GBF) since 1999, and has been a Fellow of the Rheinhard Mohn, an international conglomerate of the Bertelsmann Foundation Germany in 2002-2003. Inspired with a deep passion for culturally rooted development and African self-determination, she has written extensively on themes related to corporate governance; Sustainability; Micro Finance and Ethics in Business. Ndidi is a promoter of CBO’s; rural women NGO’s self initiatives which effects gender mainstreaming within Nigeria’s economic platform and is a consultant on a variety of areas in economic sustainability and business development strategy.

She was a leading voice and pioneer within Nigeria for the formalisation of the informal sectors towards microfinance, having co-founded the Micro enterprise development co-operation (MDC) in 2001. She serves in many Boards and NGO’s within Nigeria and abroad including being a founding membership of the Club of Rome, Nigeria chapter in 2006.


Egom Peter Alexander - (Director & Chairman Audit committee)

Peter Alexander Egom, publisher, author, writer, economist, anthropologist and financial columnist in many of Nigeria’s leading newspapers had his post graduate education in the famous Downing College, Cambridge, England where he obtained an M.A. degree in 1966 and in Denmark where he studied Economics at the University. He served as Secretary in International Trade Statistics, Department of Statistics, Copenhagen, Denmark in 1973; Financial Advisor Designate to President Julius Nyerere in State House, Tanzania in 1975 and teacher at the University of Dar es Salaam in 1975; Mr Egom has carried out various research projects on the workings of the international financial system including the $25,000 research work on ‘’Financial Planning for Economic Development in Tanzania’’ for the Rockefeller Foundation.

He is author of the following books: NEPAD for the Common Good; Globalisation at the Crossroads; Compass for Economic Reform; Economics of justice and Peace. As a member of the Commission for Justice Development and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church (Enugu), research consultant at the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA) where he currently resides and works in Lagos and Treasurer GBF in the year 2007/2008 he served the banks interests.

Alexander Egom has shown tremendous ability and competence in banking methodologies, ethically oriented investments, interest rate financial impact and economic systems analysis. He has in-depth skills that determine Economic development, global projections, Consultancy and Media Relations which competencies have advanced the UP-MFB Ltd.


Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Agu,CNA - (Director & Chairman Credit Committee)

Dr Mrs Ngozi Agu is a professional Certified National Accountant of Nigeria, Holder of several certificates and honours, B.Sc in Accountancy from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, (2004) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Honorary) degree of the California Christian University, U.S.A. (2003). She has shown enormous competence at the management of human and material resources and was elected the president of the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) Enugu Diocese.

She is also an officer at the provincial women’s CWO forum and a leading voice and deputy president of the Catholic Women organisation within Nigeria at the national level. Mrs Agu is public servant in the Ministry of Government at the grassroots local governance level, presently serving the nation as the Treasurer, Oji-River Local Government Area, Enugu State. She joined the bank as board director in 2007, representing the interests of the laity, particularly women who form the bulk of our micro-finance activities.


Very Reverend Msgr. Dr. Anijielo - (Director & Chairman Establishment Committee)

Reverend Monsignor Chukwuman Anthony Anijielo is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, ordained in Hambach Germany in July 1980. He studied at the Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu and at the university of Innsbruck, Austria from 1977 – 1984. He is a distinguished academic and fundamental theologian with many certificates including the doctoral degree in Theology.

A papal chamberlain appointed by his Holiness Pope John Paul II in December 1999, Msgr Anijielo has served the Church of Enugu diocese in many capacities including Diocesan Secretary from 1985 – 1998. He was the former Diocesan Vicar for Priests and the Chairman of the Priests’ Welfare Commission as well as Secretary of the Medical Advisory Board. Member of many diocesan commissions and author and writer, Monsignor Anijielo is presently the Parish Priest of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Independence Layout, Enugu.

He was crucial at the Founding of the Bank, assisting and working under the Founding President, Most Rev Michael Ugwu Eneja in 1995 as Diocesan Secretary. Formerly, A director-in- attendance at the UCB where he has served on the management study committee, he currently serves at the new UP-MFB Board, representing with his wealth of wisdom the interests of the Church within the Bank’s Board.