Godwin Obaseki

Obaseki was born in Benin City, Western Region, Nigeria (now Edo State, Nigeria). He is the third child of Late Pa Roland Obaseki and Gbinigie of Owina Street, Ogbelaka Quarters, Benin City. He attended St. Matthew's Primary School for his primary school education and Eghosa Grammar School, in Benin City, for secondary education.

Higher education

Obaseki obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classics from University of Ibadan. For his mandatory one year National Youth Service, he served in Jos, Plateau State. He later left Nigeria for the United States to attend Columbia University and Pace University in New York, where he obtained an MBA in Finance and International Business.

Business career

Obaseki began his career as a stockbroker in 1983 with Capital Trust Brokers Limited, Lagos. He later transferred his services to the International Merchant Bank. He moved to AVC Funds Limited, Lagos, in 1988, where he was a project manager. He moved back to New York and worked as a principal of Equatorial Finance Company, a financial advisory firm. He focused on Africa and provided structured trade finance for Africa-related transactions.

In 1995, Godwin Obaseki founded Afrinvest West Africa Limited, formerly Securities Transactions & Trust Company Limited (SecTrust), now a major investment banking and management firm in Nigeria. Obaseki later stepped down from his position as chairman of the board of directors of Afrinvest in September 2016, to contest the gubernatorial election in Edo State.

Public-sector work

Obaseki is the founding secretary of a US-based Africa Chamber of Commerce. He was also a Director of Junior Achievement of Nigeria, the local affiliate of international NGO. He also served in the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission Committee on the Re-activation of the Nigerian Bond Market and the review of the Investment and Securities Act. Between 2006 and 2009, he served as a member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Council. He is a Trustee of the Dr Jackson Owen Obaseki Foundation, a family-owned Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). Before serving at the sub-national level, Obaseki served in the Presidential Committee on the Reform of the Nigerian Pension System, which facilitated the introduction of the contributory pension scheme and other novel pension reforms.

For seven years in the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, his predecessor, he served as voluntary Chairman of the Edo State Economic and Strategy Team as well as Chairman of Tax Assessment Review Committee for Edo State Internal Revenue Service (TARC) and the Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), respectively. In that capacity, he pioneered a number of policy reforms that saw the state restructure its public finance, secure funding for infrastructure and improve the business environment to attract investment in power, agriculture and other critical sectors. Obaseki was also instrumental in attracting the Edo-Azura power project, with support from World Bank to the state.

Aside these, some of his other reforms include: creating a culture of regular retreats for state development initiatives; the N25 Billion Infrastructure Development Bond from the Nigerian Capital Market in 2010; and leading sector-based economic summits and policy dialogue series.

He was Secretary of the Committee on the Implementation of the Law, establishing the present Edo University, Iyamho, and was a member of the Committee on Contributory Pension Scheme and Edo SEEFOR/DPO Steering Committee, respectively.

Obaseki is married to Betsy Bene Obaseki, a banker. She holds Bachelor and Master's degrees in accounting from the University of Lagos, and studied at the Kellogg School of Management Executive Management Programme, USA.