Ayodeji Balogun
Ayodeji Balogun is the Chief Executive Officer of AFEX, Nigeria’s first private-sector commodities exchange. AFEX is dedicated to leading value chain development in the Agriculture sector, and designing physical and derivative contracts for commodities across markets in Africa. As CEO, Ayodeji Balogun leads a team of experts leveraging technology, innovative finance, and inclusive agriculture, to connect agric-focused SMEs and smallholder farmers to commodity and financial markets.
Ayodeji started his career at AFEX, developing the company’s new market entry strategy in East and West Africa. He later became the Country Manager for AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited in Nigeria, and the Business Lead for Africa Exchange Holdings Limited in West Africa. In both roles, he led the development of a private sector-led commodities exchange and warehouse receipt system, and doubled as the Product Development Manager, leading value chain development in the agriculture Sector, and designing physical and derivative contracts for commodities across markets in Africa.
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Ayodeji’s work at AFEX has helped smallholder farmers in several rural agric-focused communities across Nigeria access credit, and storage services and achieve financial inclusion.
Before AFEX, Ayodeji supported several private sector enabling policy initiatives including designing the Nigerian National Competitiveness Council and drafting a bill to regulate the non-profit sector in Nigeria. He started his career as an Analyst at Unilever Nigeria Plc, and later, as an Associate at Doreo Partners, where he contributed to the development of Nigeria’s Agriculture Transformation Plan in 2011.
Ayodeji completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Lagos State University, a Master of Business Administration from Lagos Business School, a Global CEO – Africa from IESE Business School, and a certificate in Creative Leadership from the THNK School of Creative Leadership.
Ayodeji is the Chairman of the Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN). He is also a Member of, the Board of Trustees of the Association of Security Exchange in Nigeria, and serves on the board of the Capital Market Development Fund, and the National Advisory Board for Impact Investing, Nigeria.