Arunma Oteh, the former Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Nigeria, has spent her career at the intersection of finance, integrity, and national development. Known for her fearless leadership in reforming Nigeria’s capital market, Oteh’s legacy continues to shape how the nation approaches financial regulation, investment, and wealth creation.
After her transformative tenure at the SEC, where she strengthened transparency, restored investor confidence, and led critical reforms in the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oteh went on to serve as Vice President and Treasurer at the World Bank. In that role, she managed billions of dollars in global assets, making her one of Africa’s most influential voices in international finance. Today, she serves as Chair of the prestigious Royal African Society in London.
Her newly released book, All Hands on Deck: Unleash Prosperity Through World-Class Capital Markets, unveiled in Abuja, offers an inspiring blend of memoir, leadership reflection, and economic insight. Through deeply personal stories, Oteh recounts her rise from a young Nigerian girl fascinated by her father’s investment culture to a global finance leader driving systemic reforms.
In the book and during her recent interview, Oteh shares the emotional turbulence, resistance, and victories that marked her tenure at the SEC. She recalls how early exposure to corporate annual reports from companies like Unilever, Nestlé, and UAC ignited her lifelong curiosity about how money works and how markets create opportunities.
Her central message is clear: Africa’s prosperity depends on strong, transparent, and inclusive capital markets. Oteh argues that these markets are not just fundraising platforms but engines of long-term economic growth that can provide patient capital to individuals, corporations, and governments.
Calling for “all hands on deck,” she emphasizes the need for collective action to mobilize Africa’s $2.2 trillion in dormant institutional funds for development, money currently sitting idle in pension, insurance, and sovereign wealth accounts.
Beyond finance, Oteh’s reflections on leadership are profound. Guided by her four core values – Character, Compassion, Competence, and Courage, she highlights the kind of leadership Africa needs to thrive. Drawing inspiration from Nelson Mandela, she speaks of courage anchored in compassion, resilience, and moral clarity.
Now leading the Oxford Global Think Tank, Oteh is expanding her influence into global policy. The think tank’s debut report, Reforming the African Mineral Sector to Prosper Africa, explores how better governance of the continent’s vast mineral wealth can fuel sustainable prosperity.
Through her work, words, and wisdom, Arunma Oteh continues to champion a vision of Africa where financial systems work for everyone, a continent empowered by integrity, innovation, and inclusive growth.
