Kamil Olufowobi

Head, Affluent and HNI Segment,United Bank for Africa Plc. Lagos, Nigeria, Age: 31

Kamil Olufowobi heads the Affluent and High Networth Individuals Segment of United Bank for Africa Plc., one of Africa’s largest financial institutions, but he wants people to know that he is also a “networking guru” and a “global thinker/local actor.” “Networking is a way of life, a mindset, an attitude, an approach to life that has elevated my life,” he says. True to this belief, he co-founded and served as CEO, Nigerian Professionals Network, a global network of more than half a million members.

Networking also has its place in Olufowobi’s duties at UBA, where he builds and manages relationships with brands that offer high-end products and services, and trains business managers of Prestige/Highstreet branches at UBA in networking, relationship management and product cross-selling.

Raised in Nigeria, with periods of study in the United States and Singapore and employment in Europe, Asia, the U.S. and Nigeria, Olufowobi considers himself a global citizen with a passion for Africa. Coping with racial discrimination is his biggest professional frustration. “People sometimes refer to me as the smart Black guy and not just the smart guy,” he says. “My biggest challenge was I constantly had to prove I was good enough for the job as a Black man. This has lessened significantly with my transition back to Africa.”

A lover of horses, Olufowobi dreams of establishing a “Save the Horse Foundation” in Lagos because “every day I drive by on my way home and see abandoned and injured horses roaming the streets.” A fellow of the Nigerian Leadership Initiative for his work in the community, he was named African Youth of the Year in 2005 by African People’s Intercontinental Awards.

Olufowobi has a bachelor’s degree in communications from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a master’s in global affairs, business and economics from Rutgers University in New Jersey. He plans to enter Nigeria’s diplomatic service and become its top diplomat.

Fun Facts
Nickname: Kamillionaire
Facebook or LinkedIn: LinkedIn
Favorite sports team: Brazilian National Team
Movie theater or home theater: Home theater
What artist/group would you go on tour with: Lenny Kravitz
Last movie: Inception
List the languages you speak: Yoruba, English, West African Pidgin