Abiodun Solomon Oyewusi
Ipswich,Suffolk
Summary
Results-driven agriculture finance expert with 15 years of experience in multimillion-dollar finance Model.Instrumental in launching the $20 million SWAY-Ag fund in partnership with MasterCard Foundation to support youth and women customers in Sterling Bank. Proficient in connecting digital banking advancements with rural value chain improvements in sectors like cocoa,poultry and cashew. Extensive knowledge in agricultural value chain development, agribusiness finance, and market systems.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
year of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Founder & Lead Consultant
Diary of a Farmer
United Kingdom/Africa
2025.01 - 2026.02
- Transformed over 50% of community poultry enterprises into bankable assets through bio-security and financial recordkeeping integration.
- Advised on poultry value chains to boost farm productivity and market-oriented production systems.
- Delivered capacity building for smallholder and emerging commercial farmers, linking efficiency to profitability.
- Supported agribusinesses in business planning and cost optimisation for value chain finance.
- Developed knowledge products and training tools to enhance farmer decision-making.
- Reduced mortality rates, optimised feed usage, and improved production planning for enhanced farm performance.
- Strengthened farmers' and agribusinesses' capacity to engage lenders through improved record-keeping.
Digital Finance & Inclusion Specialist
Starling Bank
London, United Kingdom
2021.07 - 2026.02
- Synthesised UK Fintech best practices to advise on digital first financial inclusion models specifically mapping user journeys for vulnerable populations to improve remote on boarding and digital literacy.
- Delivered tailored financial solutions to business and retail clients, wi focus on fraud prevention, card operations, digital banking guidance, and incident resolution—achieving consistent customer satisfaction scores above 85% across quarterly reviews.
- Actively contributed to Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) cycles, maintaining high standards in complaint handling, process adherence, and response efficiency; exceeded internal benchmarks in 3 out of 4 quarters (2023–2024).
- Recognised for excellence in complaint resolution with positive appraisal feedback; routinely managed escalated customer issues, achieving resolution turnaround rate 30% faster than departmental average.
- Participated in cross-functional shadow projects on accessibility innovation for vulnerable customers—contributing to improved user interface (UI) and journey mapping that enhanced customer inclusivity and satisfaction.
- Provided operational insights that improved internal compliance workflows and enhanced digital transparency, contributing to ongoing service improvement frameworks aligned with Starling’s FCA obligations.
- Client Engagement & Solutions Specialist to improving ESG Compliance & Bankability.
Financing Lead – SWAY-Ag (Mastercard Foundation Partnership)
Sterling Bank Plc
South East , Nigeria
2020.01 - 2021.01
- Spearheaded design and implementation of $20M SWAY-Ag blended finance facility, advancing Mastercard Foundation's financial inclusion strategy.
- Mainstreamed climate-smart agriculture protocols into leading frameworks, utilising digital profiling to enhance credit access.
- Led integration of climate-resilient production practices for poultry value chain, contributing to 'Feed Africa' objectives.
Senior Agricbusiness & Investment Lead
Sterling Bank Plc / 3T Impex
Lagos Nigeria, Nigeria
2011.01 - 2021.01
- Structured 400 million naira in rural investment portfolios to secure long-term capital for SMEs.
- Executed multi-state value chain interventions, increasing smallholder income by 38% through enhanced market links.
- Delivered export readiness training to strengthen local processors' capabilities.
Regional Project Lead
CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme
2016.01 - 2020.01
- Maintained and 85% portfolio recovery rate on over 200M NGN in agricultural credit by deploying digital monitoring tools and capacity-building frameworks for farmer cooperatives.
- Directed the portfolio of 1000+ farmer groups through innovative detailed monitoring- a model for skill rural credit systems.
- Reduced loan default rates to below 2% through coaching, digital lending tools,incentives to credit worthy farmers and close portfolio monitoring.
Relationship & Credit Officer
Equatorial Trust Bank
2008.01 - 2011.01
- Managed SME and retail banking portfolios including credit appraisal, loan structuring, and monitoring.
- Conducted financial analysis, risk assessment, and recovery actions in line with regulatory standards.
Agricultural Extension Officer
Cross River State Ministry of Agriculture
2008.01 - 2011.01
- Delivered GAP training, cocoa farmer profiling, and mechanisation support programmes.
Poultry & Farm Systems Intern
S & D Farms
2006.01 - 2007.01
- Hands-on experience in hatchery operations, feed milling, brooding, fish farming, and farmer linkage.
Education
Certified Expert - Sustainable Agricultural Finance
Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
GermanyMasters Program - Business Analysis
Simplilearn (IIBA Endorsed Education Prover)
Online/Virtual 2023.05 - 2023.11
MSc - Agricultural Extension & Rural Sociology
University of Calabar
NigeriaB.Tech - Agricultural Economics
Federal University of Technology, Minna
NigeriaGlobal Certificate Course - Agricultural Market Analysis
London School of International Business
UK 2025.10 - 2026.02
Skills
- Agricultural Value Chain Analysis & Development
- Agribusiness & SME Finance (Blended & Climate-Smart Finance)
- Market Systems Development (MSD)
- Export & Trade Facilitation (Cocoa, Cashew, Banana, Poultry, Smart Farming Equipment)
- Rural Finance, Cooperative Development & Digital Agriculture
- Project Design, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)
- Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Agriculture
- Financial Modelling, Business Analysis & AI-Enabled Content Creation
- Capacity building initiatives
- Financial modelling for agribusiness
- Financial inclusion strategies
Certification
- USAID Value Chain Development
- Tableau Data Visualisation
- Agile SCRUM Master
- Poultry & Hatchery Management
- Lean Methodology
- AML/CFT Compliance
- Credit Analysis (IBFC Alliance)
- PPP in Agriculture
- Safeguarding Level 2
LANGUAGES
English (Fluent)
Yoruba (Native)
French (Beginner – A1)
Personal Information
Nationality: Nigerian
Affiliations
- Ambassador – Ripple Effect, UK (2025 – Present)
- Founder – Diary of a Farmer (Agricultural Training Platform)
- Member: RASE UK | BCS UK | Nigerian Institute of Management | FIAN Nigeria
References
References available upon request.
PUBLICATIONS
- Assessment of Communication Channels in Cocoa Farming – WJARR (2025)
- Access to Agricultural Credit via Cooperatives – Nigeria
- Communication Channels Among Cocoa Farmers – Nigeria
GEOGRAPHICAL EXPERIENCE
- Nigeria (multi-state)
- Sub-Saharan Africa (through regional partnerships and export programmes)
- United Kingdom
AVAILABILITY
Available for short-term and long-term consulting assignments with development finance institutions, donors, NGOs, and private sector clients.
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Global Certificate Course - Agricultural Market Analysis
London School of International Business
2025.10 - 2026.02
Founder & Lead Consultant
Diary of a Farmer
2025.01 - 2026.02
Masters Program - Business Analysis
Simplilearn (IIBA Endorsed Education Prover)
2023.05 - 2023.11
Digital Finance & Inclusion Specialist
Starling Bank
2021.07 - 2026.02
Financing Lead – SWAY-Ag (Mastercard Foundation Partnership)
Sterling Bank Plc
2020.01 - 2021.01
Regional Project Lead
CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme
2016.01 - 2020.01
Senior Agricbusiness & Investment Lead
Sterling Bank Plc / 3T Impex
2011.01 - 2021.01
Relationship & Credit Officer
Equatorial Trust Bank
2008.01 - 2011.01
Agricultural Extension Officer
Cross River State Ministry of Agriculture
2008.01 - 2011.01
Poultry & Farm Systems Intern
S & D Farms
2006.01 - 2007.01
Certified Expert - Sustainable Agricultural Finance
Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
MSc - Agricultural Extension & Rural Sociology
University of Calabar
B.Tech - Agricultural Economics
Federal University of Technology, Minna