Agusto & Co, Nigeria’s foremost Credit Rating Agency, has announced the retirement of its Chief Executive Officer – Vivien Shobo, effective 31 December 2019. Following over two decades with the organization, Vivien leaves with an outstanding record of achievements further strengthening Agusts & Co’s formidable market position. She also led Agusto & Co’s African expansion initiatives by obtaining Credit Rating Agency licenses from the Capital Market Authorities of Kenya and Rwanda.
Under her leadership, Agusto & Co has successfully rated most of Nigeria’s leading banks and pioneered domestic credit ratings for notable corporates such as Dangote Cement Plc, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Julius Berger amongst others.
Vivien’s management at Agusto & Co also played major roles in facilitating landmark multibillion transactions including the:
- Largest Municipal Bond programme and single largest tranche issuance – Lagos State Government’s ₦500 billion Bond programme and ₦87.5 billion Bond issuance.
- First bond issued by a deposit money bank in Nigeria in 2006 “the Access Bank ₦13.5 billion-naira redeemable bond”.
- First bond issued by an insurance company in 2008 “Crusader Nigeria Plc ₦4 billion Unsecured Convertible Debenture
- First 15-year corporate green bond fully guaranteed by infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company Limited (Infracredit) – NSP-SPV PowerCorp Plc’s ₦8.5 Billion 15-year 15.60% Series 1 Guaranteed Fixed Rate Senior Green Infrastructure Bond Due 2034
- First commercial paper issuance under the new guidelines of FMDQ – UPDC’s ₦24 billion commercial paper programme
- First hospitality corporate bond issuance in the Nigerian debt capital market – Transcorp Hotels Plc’s ₦19.7 billion Series I & II bonds Due 2020
- First FinTech corporate bond (callable) issuance in the Nigerian debt capital market- Interswitch Africa One Plc’s ₦23 Billion 7-Year 15% Fixed Rate Series 1 Senior Unsecured Callable Bonds Due 2026
- First logistics corporate bond issuance in the Nigerian debt capital market – TAK Agro Plc’s ₦15 Billion 16.49% Seven-Year Fixed Rate Senior Bond Due 2026
- World Bank credit rating assessment for the City of Kigali and the 30 districts in Rwanda in 2015
Following her retirement, Yinka Adelekan, Executive Director, has been appointed as Agusto & Co’s Chief Executive Officer designate. Yinka is an astute finance executive with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services industry, and her expertise spans credit ratings, corporate banking, risk management, product development, financial analysis, and information management.
Agusto & Co is a pioneer in the Nigerian Credit Ratings Industry and commenced business in January 1999. In 2001, Agusto & Co became the first credit rating agency to be licensed by the Securities & Exchange Commission.