Lola Aworanti-Ekugo
Since starting her career, everywhere she’s worked has been largely male dominated. But Lola is changing the narrative for women in technology. Through advocacy and mentorship, she is boosting diversity within the sector and supporting women who want to become digital leaders like her.
Lola Aworanti-Ekugo is a digital and innovation expert with over 17 years of experience. She is recognised for steering organisations towards an innovative and sustainable future using technology within the private and public sector.
Most notably, Lola has played a major role in the digital readiness and transformation of two of Nigeria’s oldest and foremost financial institutions into digitally led retail banks.
I spearheaded digital innovation at FirstBank Nigeria, Nigeria’s oldest financial institution, as Head of Digital and Innovation Lab. I was responsible for implementing the bank's digital transformation strategy. This helped accelerate its journey for over 15 million customers and 16,000 employees.
A leader in her sector
Lola is now the Chief Digital Officer at FBNQuest (Part of FBN Holdings PLC). She has won a number of awards including Top 40 CEOs under 40 in Africa by Young Entrepreneurs Summit in 2022 and Woman in ICT Award at the Women Tech Network Global Awards 2022. She was also profiled by Fintech Africa as one of 30 exceptional women playing leading roles in their various companies and shaping the Fintech sector in Nigeria.
Lola with colleagues at the FBNQuest Innovation Challenge 2023
Lola with colleagues at the FBNQuest Innovation Challenge 2023
In 2023, Lola was appointed as a non-executive director for ICT and Innovation at TradeMark Africa, an aid-for-trade organisation with presence in fourteen countries, headquartered in Kenya and aiming to grow prosperity in Africa through increased trade.
An unexpected route to success
Lola currently lives in Nigeria where she grew up. Focusing on education and striving for excellence were two things that were instilled in Lola from a young age by her parents. Her father worked for a leading oil company and her mother was a teacher. She felt the pressure to decide what she wanted to achieve and the path she would follow.
Lola with her parents at their Chieftaincy conferment in Ada Land, Osun State Nigeria, as Otunba and Yeye Otunba Fiwajoye of Ada Land
Lola with her parents at their Chieftaincy conferment in Ada Land, Osun State Nigeria, as Otunba and Yeye Otunba Fiwajoye of Ada Land
Lola recalls, “I decided it would make sense for me to pursue a career in medicine. I was good at both science and arts, so I struggled to know what path to follow.”
She started a course in Lagos studying cell biology and genetics at 18. However, her parents quickly became concerned it wasn’t the right fit for their daughter and decided that Lola would benefit from studying abroad.
Through their intense research, her mother and father found a computer science course at Middlesex University in London. They instantly knew it was the perfect fit for Lola's inquisitive mind and the opportunity for her to shape the future. And it was soon after that her life in London began. Lola fell in love with the subject – and she was a natural at it too. She scored top in her class and became proficient in Java.
Early days at Imperial College Business School
Early days at Imperial College Business School
Lola on her Imperial Graduation day
Lola on her Imperial Graduation day
Living a life of no regrets
After studying at Middlesex, Lola spent a number of years working in the UK in organisations like BNP Paribas and Commerzbank, but eventually decided she wanted to return home to Nigeria. There, she continued to focus on leveraging technology to revolutionize industries.
However, as Lola progressed in her path, she felt something was missing. Lola says she wants to “live a life of no regrets”. She was content with her life in Nigeria, but knew in her heart that completing an MBA, and having a second chapter in London, was the next step for her.
Lola’s Imperial experience
Lola explains, “I started looking at what MBAs were out there, and Imperial just ticked every box for me. I could see it was a place committed to excellence, with a focus on tech and innovation.”
Lola started her MBA in 2017 and worked tirelessly for two years to upgrade her knowledge, with support from business experts and leaders at the forefront of the field.
The experience was out of this world in the sense that it gave me even more than I thought it would – and it's still helping me learn more today. I gained more than just knowledge – Imperial helped build me up and prepare me for the next step in my career.
Outside of her studies, Lola was also part of the African Caribbean Society, which gave her the opportunity to support others from a similar background to hers and find ways to become an agent of change.
Lola at her Imperial Graduation ceremony with her MBA classmates at the Royal Albert Hall
Lola at her Imperial Graduation ceremony with her MBA classmates at the Royal Albert Hall
Supercharging the African tech industry
During her time at Union Bank as Head of Digital and Innovation, Lola was responsible for the design, development and launch of key digital products.
She also established a digital academy through partnerships focused on upskilling over 5,000 employees with digital skills whilst creating a pipeline for talent.
I have pioneered initiatives designed to empower early-stage tech start-up companies to grow the African ecosystem and solve important problems in the Nigerian economy.
Lola was also responsible for introducing initiatives like the 2019 FirstBank Innov8 Hackathon, the 2021 Union X Start-up Accelerator programme by Union Bank and the launch of the UBN Developer Portal. All designed to support tech-based businesses at various stages of their lifecycles.
A mission to improve diversity
One thing that quickly became clear to Lola was the lack of diversity in the sector. Even in the classroom, she was one of only a few women. Then when she started her career, there were only two or three women on a floor of 40 people. She wanted to change the narrative and demonstrate how diversity can positively impact performance.
As part of her mission to drive diversity, she is empowering youths. Lola has worked with several initiatives including Digital 101 for Women by FintechNGR, Tech4Dev, Girl Code Academy, She Leads Africa, and more. She is also a mentor on WIMBIZ (Women in Management, Business and Public Service) and a member of the Innovation and Tech Committee of Osun State Development Association.
I do a lot of work with people – especially women – because it’s worth my time even if I can just change one life. Maybe I’ll help a woman who is confused about what to do with her life. She could then potentially change the lives of a million or billions of people. We don't know who she's going to become.
As part of her birthday celebrations in July 2023, Lola launched the Closet of Opportunities initiative to empower young women who are at the early stages of their careers. Through the initiative, she offers one-to-one CV reviews, mock interviews and professional clothing with the support of friends and industry colleagues.
Lola at a Closet of Opportunities event, an initiative she founded to empower young women in their careers
Lola at a Closet of Opportunities event, an initiative she founded to empower young women in their careers
Publishing a novel
What Lola describes as one of her “biggest achievements” is something she did outside her role in tech. In 2021, Lola launched her first novel Lagos to London, a fictional story aimed at inspiring youths to strive to be their best wherever they find themselves in the world.
It was inspired by her experience of growing up in Nigeria and then moving to the UK to study and eventually making the move back to join other change makers keen on making an impact.
The novel was launched with an accompanying learning curriculum which is designed to prepare students for life, work after school and navigating an interconnected and global society.
As part of this ongoing project, she is working with various international schools in Nigeria including the British International School and Lagos State Comprehensive Schools.
Lola at the Lagos to London book launch in Lagos, hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner, Ben Llewellyn-Jones OBE, at his residence
Lola at the Lagos to London book launch in Lagos, hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner, Ben Llewellyn-Jones OBE, at his residence
Continuous self-development
The drive to make an impact is what gets Lola out of bed in the morning. She constantly asks herself: “What can I do to expand my skills? How can I use technology to change lives and improve economies?”
Moving forward I’m looking at improving my global reach and discovering how I can use my knowledge to make more impact in Africa and beyond.
Launching the Lagos to London Global Learning Curriculum on personal and life skills development at The British International Schools Lagos
Launching the Lagos to London Global Learning Curriculum on personal and life skills development at The British International Schools Lagos
Lola believes that “you never know what you are capable of achieving until you push yourself”.
She also thinks it’s important to focus on delivering value. “When you deliver value, it doesn’t matter what gender you are,” she explains. “Even if you’re given something small to do, make sure you do it well.”
If she could give one piece of advice to others it would be: “Don’t focus on the noise. Put in the hard work if you want to be recognised for what you do. Go step by step instead of trying to take shortcuts. Focus on becoming competent and the success will come.”
A full circle moment
Lola is giving back to the Imperial community by increasing the university’s presence in Nigeria. “I’ve been supporting Imperial when the alumni and marketing teams visit my country, as well as helping to create a presence here”.
I did wonder whether leaving my life in Nigeria behind was the right decision at times, but the university shared my values, and I knew it was the right place to pursue my MBA. Achieving this award feels like a real full circle moment as Imperial has played a huge role in where I am today.
Lola with her family. From left to right is Lola, her mum (Chief Mrs Oyenike Aworanti), Lola's sister-in-law and young nephew (Michelle and Gabriel), Lola's dad (Chief Olajide Aworanti), Lola's brother (Dr Gbenga), Lola's older sister (Folake) and her younger sister (Bunmi)
Lola with her family. From left to right is Lola, her mum (Chief Mrs Oyenike Aworanti), Lola's sister-in-law and young nephew (Michelle and Gabriel), Lola's dad (Chief Olajide Aworanti), Lola's brother (Dr Gbenga), Lola's older sister (Folake) and her younger sister (Bunmi)
“The Emerging Alumni Leader Award is not just a personal achievement but a shared win for my family", Lola shares.
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Imperial's Alumni Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of our alumni community and the variety of ways they are making a real impact across the globe.
The Emerging Alumni Leader Award celebrates our rising stars, innovators, game-changers and future leaders.