Oluwafemi Ige
3rd Party Distribution Manager
Lagos
Summary
Financial services and financial inclusion professional with 10+ years of experience spanning digital banking, agency banking, acquiring, business development, sales, distribution and operations. Experienced in building and scaling agent and merchant ecosystems, digital distribution channels, strategic partnerships and growth initiatives across banks and financial institutions. Proven ability to collaborate with product, technology and business teams to translate market opportunities into scalable solutions, drive customer and transaction growth, and lead high-performing teams.
Overview
23
23
Certifications
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
3rd Party Distribution Manager – Consumer and Commercial Banking
Ecobank Limited
01.2026 - Current
- Lead the Bank’s third-party distribution and agency banking strategy, driving customer acquisition, CASA growth, transaction volumes, and market penetration across key business segments.
- Manage and optimize nationwide networks of Direct Sales Agents (DSAs), aggregators, agents, and strategic partners to deliver business growth, productivity, and profitability targets.
- Develop and implement strategic partnerships with fintechs, corporates, payment providers, and ecosystem players to expand distribution channels and enhance customer value propositions.
- Drive performance management, governance, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence across agency banking and third-party distribution channels in line with CBN, NIBSS, and internal policies.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to execute growth initiatives, launch market-driven solutions, monitor competitive trends, and provide strategic insights to senior management.
Digital Products and Partnerships Manager – Product, Digital & Strategy
InstaSwitch Limited
08.2025 - 12.2025
- Lead the development, enhancement, and commercialization of digital trading products and platforms to improve customer experience, adoption, and revenue growth.
- Identify, negotiate, and manage partnerships with banks, fintechs, payment providers, liquidity providers, affiliates, and other ecosystem players to expand market reach and business opportunities.
- Develop partnership-led growth initiatives, referral programs, and digital engagement strategies to increase funded accounts, active traders, trading volumes, and revenue.
- Track key business metrics, analyze customer behavior, and leverage data-driven insights to improve product performance, customer retention, profitability, and operational efficiency.
- Work closely with Compliance, Risk, Legal, Technology, and Operations teams to ensure regulatory adherence, successful product delivery, and effective execution of strategic initiatives.
Senior Growth Lead, Acquiring Business – Digital Banking
LOTUS Bank Limited
05.2023 - 07.2025
- Collaborated with product and technology teams to develop and enhance service offerings aligned with market demand and regulatory requirements.
- Led sales teams to deliver customer acquisition and revenue targets through sales strategies, campaigns and performance tracking.
- Managed relationships with merchants, agents, aggregators and third-party partners to drive sustainable business growth and revenue.
- Designed and executed strategies to grow and sustain agency banking and merchant distribution networks.
- Managed onboarding, system integrations and risk/compliance requirements across the acquiring business.
- Identified high-potential markets and developed tailored solutions for SMEs and agents across banking and payment needs.
- Used incentive and reward programmes to support acquisition, activation and customer loyalty.
- Conducted market analysis to identify trends, customer pain points and competitive opportunities.
- Led and mentored teams while fostering cross-functional collaboration and talent development.
Ag. Head of Digital Banking – Digital Banking Group
LOTUS Bank Limited
01.2023 - 04.2023
- Developed and implemented digital banking strategy aligned with the bank’s business objectives.
- Led digital innovation initiatives and explored emerging technologies to strengthen the bank’s digital proposition.
- Enhanced customer experience across online banking, mobile applications and service touchpoints.
- Leveraged data and customer insights to inform business decisions and improve operational efficiency.
- Collaborated with SBU Heads and business leaders to define and execute tactical strategies for improved performance.
Head of Growth – Agency & Business Banking
Innovectives
10.2022 - 11.2022
- Managed retail distribution initiatives to drive agent and merchant acquisition, deposits, payments and credit offerings.
- Promoted continuous improvement, innovation and operational efficiency across the agency banking team.
- Engaged partners and internal stakeholders to deliver growth and revenue objectives.
Network Growth Manager – Business Acquiring
Accion Microfinance Bank Limited
10.2019 - 09.2022
- Spearheaded development and expansion of the bank’s retail footprint and strategic distribution touchpoints supporting a portfolio of over 50,000 SMEs, agents and merchants.
- Built business architecture for performance management and revenue growth, achieving 53% in 2019, 96% in 2020 and 1023% in 2021.
- Managed strategic PSP/PTSA/vendor relationships covering POS delivery, configuration, inventory and bank-wide distribution for agency and acceptance businesses.
- Produced regulatory and performance reports for Regional Managers and Branch Agent Supervisors.
Agent Network Development Officer – Financial Inclusion
First Bank of Nigeria Limited
07.2015 - 09.2019
- Supported identification and recruitment of viable agents and merchants nationwide.
- Contributed to agent banking training, interventions and development of knowledge and communication materials for branches and agents.
- Conducted market scanning and identified improvement opportunities using market intelligence and internal performance insights.
- Monitored and supervised over 4,000 Firstmonie field officers across 750 branches and over 100 supervisory officers across 78 cluster locations nationwide.
Agent Network Management Officer – eBusiness/MFS
First Bank of Nigeria Limited
08.2012 - 06.2015
- Managed and supported Firstmonie branch agent wallets across FirstBank branches and over 145 agencies and Quick Service Points.
- Prepared internal and external reports, including monthly CBN reporting and agent enrolment uploads to the CBN portal.
- Analysed agent performance trends across seven strategic business units.
- Managed Firstmonie POS/collateral stock and nationwide dispatch and delivery logistics.
- Coordinated POS terminal configuration, software maintenance and issue resolution.
Operations Support Officer – Operations Department
Associated Discount House Ltd. (now Coronation Merchant Bank)
11.2009 - 07.2012
- Supported Area and Regional Managers in driving operational efficiency, resolving service delivery issues, and ensuring seamless business operations across branches.
- Liaised with the Treasury Department to process Treasury Bill placements, rollovers, and terminations, ensuring timely execution and settlement of investment transactions.
- Managed operational relationships with correspondent banks, coordinated fund placements, monitored maturity schedules, and facilitated efficient interbank transaction processing.
- Administered cheque issuance and payment processing through the automated ChequePay platform, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely execution of customer and corporate payment requests.
- Conducted transaction reconciliations, investigated and resolved operational exceptions, maintained accurate records, and prepared management reports to support decision-making and regulatory compliance.
Education
Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) -
Rome Business School
B.Sc. - Entrepreneurship and Business Management
National Open University of Nigeria
Lagos01.2019
National Diploma - Accountancy
Federal Polytechnic Ede
Osun01.2009
Skills
Digital Banking
Agency Banking
Business Acquiring
Sales & Distribution
Business Development
Customer Acquisition
Product Management
Partnerships & Ecosystems
Revenue & Deposit Growth
Merchant & Agent Networks
Strategy & Performance Management
Financial Inclusion
Accomplishments
• Spearheaded the scoping, design, deployment and adoption of the LOTUS virtual account service by third parties and fintechs, expanding the bank’s digital ecosystem.
• Played a pivotal role in scaling LOTUS Bank’s agency banking business to national presence, onboarding over 20,000 agents in less than a year and processing over ₦100 billion in monthly transaction value.
• As a pioneering Firstmonie team member, supported the scaling of Firstmonie product offerings and coordinated agent site visits and interviews with IFC in connection with a US$12 million grant initiative from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Managed the setup and support of Firstmonie Agent Aggregators and Super-Agents for UNICEF Fund Disbursement, Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), and the Lagos Barbering, Hairdressing and Cosmetology Association (LABHCA) project.
• Participated in the Agent Network Accelerator (ANA) market scanning activity conducted by the HELIX Institute of Digital Finance.
Certification
Advanced Sales & Business Development Strategy — 2026
Timeline
3rd Party Distribution Manager – Consumer and Commercial Banking
Ecobank Limited
01.2026 - Current
Digital Products and Partnerships Manager – Product, Digital & Strategy
InstaSwitch Limited
08.2025 - 12.2025
Senior Growth Lead, Acquiring Business – Digital Banking
LOTUS Bank Limited
05.2023 - 07.2025
Ag. Head of Digital Banking – Digital Banking Group
LOTUS Bank Limited
01.2023 - 04.2023
Head of Growth – Agency & Business Banking
Innovectives
10.2022 - 11.2022
Network Growth Manager – Business Acquiring
Accion Microfinance Bank Limited
10.2019 - 09.2022
Agent Network Development Officer – Financial Inclusion
First Bank of Nigeria Limited
07.2015 - 09.2019
Agent Network Management Officer – eBusiness/MFS
First Bank of Nigeria Limited
08.2012 - 06.2015
Operations Support Officer – Operations Department
Associated Discount House Ltd. (now Coronation Merchant Bank)
11.2009 - 07.2012
National Diploma - Accountancy
Federal Polytechnic Ede
B.Sc. - Entrepreneurship and Business Management
National Open University of Nigeria
Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) -
Rome Business School
References
Available upon request.