Put together by Engr. Mike O. Enahoro, Ph.D
The unbeatable credential of the Man Wey Sabi is not only contagious but infectious.
Born in 1959 to the family of Mr. & Mrs. Jeremiah Ighodalo from Okaigben, Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria, Barr. Asue Ighodalo attended the prestigious Kings College, Lagos, University of Ibadan, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Nigerian Law School where he obtained his West African Examination Certificate (WAEC), Bachelor of Economics (B.Sc), Bachelor of Law (LL.B), and Barrister at Law (B.L) respectively. He is an accomplished economist, lawyer, banker, management expert, and politician.
After graduating from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1985, Ighodalo worked as an Associate in the law firm of Chris Ogunbanjo & Co. between 1985 and 1991 where his expertise on matters of Law was reestablished, and in 1991 he set up Banwo & Ighodalo in partnership with Femi Olubanwo, the firm which is today consistently ranked as a leading Nigerian law firm in the areas of Capital Markets, Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions. Mr. Ighodalo’s core areas of practice include Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, Energy; Natural Resources, Mergers; Acquisitions, Banking; Securitization, and Project Finance. Ighodalo in 2014, successfully advised Zenith Bank Plc in connection with a US$500 million Eurobond issuance and Diamond Bank Plc in connection with a US$200 million Eurobond issuance respectively.
Barr. Asue Ighodalo’s excellent and superlative performance in his chosen career projected him to top world-class categories of lawyers in the international business world. His effective and efficient approach to issues with best practice attracted other sectors of the economy that his service became contagious and irresistible.
Ighodalo served as the Chairman, Board of Directors, Sterling Bank PLC, Nigerian Brewery PLC, Dangote Flour Mills PLC, and The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). He has also sat on the boards of other public and private companies, Non-Governmental Organizations (“NGOs”), and a statutory body including the Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), FATE Foundation (an NGO committed to the development of entrepreneurs in Nigeria) and others.
Politically, Barr. Asue Ighodalo has also served as Special Adviser to the Governor of Edo State as a member of the Economic Team of the former Governor of Edo State, H.E. Conrad Governor, now Sen. Adams Oshiomole, Special Adviser to the Governor of Edo State as Chairman, Economic Team under H.E. Governor Godwin Obaseki as the head of the Alaghodalo Economic Submit. Under the above arrangement, Ighodalo understood the economic status of Edo State and believed a lot more can be achieved.
Ighodalo has presented several papers on capital markets issues both within and outside Nigeria and also authored many articles in leading law publications. He sometimes lectures on corporate governance, directors’ duties and responsibilities, and entrepreneurship at the Institute of Directors, Lagos Business School, and FATE Foundation entrepreneurial training sessions, respectively.
In his desire to serve his Edo people, Asue Ighodalo who was appointed the Chairman of Sterling Bank in August 2014 resigned on December 31, 2023. He has also for the same reason resigned from other very lucrative positions such as the Chairman, Nigerian Brewery, etc, believing it is time to give more back to his people beyond being an Adviser. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and is a past chairman of The NBA-Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL). He is also a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN), USA, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, International Bar Association (IBA), Nigerian Maritime Law Association, Commercial Law & Taxation Committee of the Lagos Chamber Of Commerce & Industry, London School of Economics Lawyers’ Group and Associate Member Chartered Institute of Taxation.
Asue Ighodalo is happily married to his beautiful wife, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, and they are blessed with a daughter.
As he aspire to be Governor of Edo State, Asue Ighodalo’s vision and mission are clear and be summarized as thus; to take Edo State to world-class number one sub-nation in Africa by lifting the people from poverty, provide the needed infrastructural and industrial development for comfortable and stable life.