Comercio Partners has appointed Mrs. Ronke Sokefun as the first female Chairperson in the investment banking and financial services firm’s history, marking a significant leadership milestone as the company strengthens its corporate governance and strategic direction.
Sokefun brings nearly four decades of experience across corporate law, financial services, public administration and board governance. Her appointment adds to a career that has spanned private legal practice, executive leadership in the energy sector and senior public sector positions, making her one of Nigeria’s most experienced boardroom professionals.
Her appointment comes as financial institutions continue to place greater emphasis on strong governance, regulatory compliance and experienced board leadership. Brandspur Banking News Desk understands that Comercio Partners expects her expertise to support the firm’s long-term growth strategy and governance framework.
Sokefun began her legal career at Ighodalo & Associates before joining Aluko & Oyebode, where she advanced to the position of Partner. She later moved into the corporate sector, joining Ocean & Oil Services Limited in 2002 as Head of Management Services before becoming Group Chief Legal Officer of Oando Plc in 2007.
In 2011, she entered public service with the Ogun State Government, serving as Special Adviser and Director-General of the Bureau of Lands and Survey. She subsequently held the positions of Commissioner for Agriculture and Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, overseeing policy implementation and strategic development initiatives across the state until 2018.
Her profile in corporate governance was further strengthened in December 2018 when she was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), becoming the first woman to occupy the position since the Corporation was established.
During her four-year tenure at the NDIC, Sokefun supervised board-level oversight of Nigeria’s deposit insurance framework, contributing to policies aimed at maintaining financial system stability and protecting depositors within the banking sector.
Her appointment at Comercio Partners reflects a growing trend among Nigerian financial institutions to appoint seasoned professionals with multidisciplinary experience to lead their boards amid evolving regulatory expectations and increased demand for sound corporate governance.
Comercio Partners operates across investment banking, asset management, securities trading and financial advisory services, serving institutional and corporate clients within Nigeria’s financial markets.
With Sokefun assuming the role of Chairperson, the firm is expected to benefit from her extensive experience in legal advisory, public policy, corporate governance and strategic leadership as it pursues its next phase of growth and institutional development.
