Board of Trustees

Roland Igbinoba

Roland has garnered over 15 years experience in the financial services industry in Nigeria having worked with United Bank of Africa Plc, Oceanic Bank of Nigeria and National Bank of Nigeria. He is also a consultant to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and World Bank on Building permits and licenses, and commercial real estate. Roland is currently the President/CEO of PISON HOUSING COMPANY. Pison Housing Company is a commercial real estate and housing finance advisory firm with considerable deal making muscle providing customized services to individuals, corporate, and multinational companies. He is also a consultant with the World Bank Group on the Investment Climate Program (ICP) & Mortgage Pilot Project of Lagos State.

Roland has led a multidisciplinary team of real estate professionals to secure US$100 Million of syndicated loans / club deal for about 2000 units of housing in Nigeria. Currently he is leading a multidisciplinary team on a total portfolio of US$400 Million real estate financing for three joint venture developments in Nigeria. Roland is also leading a team of consultants through a special purpose vehicle in a strategic partnership with a renowned international financial asset management company for a US$500 Million REITs Fund to be listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Also, Roland is on the team of financial advisors structuring a US$ 250 Million debt capital for a client from his offshore parties who has committed to real estate investment in Nigeria for the next 5 years.

He is also currently a member of the technical committee (mortgage Sector) of the Financial System Strategy 2020 (FSS 2020), the Federal Government of Nigeria financial schemes reform driven by the Central Bank of Nigeria. With housing finance study internships in Mexico, India, Thailand, South Africa, Europe, Canada & America, Roland's interest and zeal in developing the Nigerian real estate and housing finance sector burns.

Roland is also the Executive Vice Chair of the Roland Igbinoba Real Foundation for Housing and Urban Development. The Foundation is a corporate social responsibility effort and a nongovernmental initiative aimed at providing information and analytics to the housing market in Nigeria. The Foundation is strictly set up as an institution for capital, advocacy and policy making towards the development of the Nigerian housing market and ultimately the provision of affordable housing to the citizenry. The Foundation has successfully published “The State of the Lagos Housing Market” which is a first of its kind.

Roland is an Alumnus of Harvard University Graduate School of Design with a concentration in Real Estate Development & Finance. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration in Finance & Economics at the prestigious School of Management, Cranfield University, UK.

Samuel Parma Ogoefuna Fortune-Ebie - Board of Trustee

He is a renowned Estate Manager with several years experience. He was the pioneer General Manager of Federal Housing Authority (FHA) from 1976 to 1983 and in that capacity supervised the designing and developing of the Festival Town (FESTAC) for the 1977 Black Festival of Arts and Culture. This project provided accommodation for the participants of the festival, and Festac town and now houses many of the inhabitants of Lagos.

Fortune is the Founder and President of Estate firm Fortune Ebie & Co, Home of Estate Surveyors & Valuers, Property Development & Management Consultants. He, along with some friends struggled for recognition as professional surveyors and succeeded in getting the “Nigerian Institute of Estate

Surveyors and Valuers” duly recognised by the government. From 1983 to 1995, he was also the pioneer President and Managing Director of Shelter Afrique, a mortgage institution meant to help all contributing African nations to develop housing at a cheaper rate for their citizens.

During his tenure, he travelled the length and breadth of African countries to meet with heads of government and convince them of the need to contribute their quota to the Shelter Afrique. He continues to work tirelessly towards improving the housing industry in the country and has tried to get the government involved in approving housing policies and structuring other systems that will develop housing in the country. Mr. S P O Fortune Ebie serves as Director of Zenith Bank Plc.

Fortune is currently serving as a non-Executive Director in Pison Housing Company. 

Asare Akuffo

Mr. Asare Akuffo is currently the Managing Director of HFC Bank (Ghana) Limited (formerly Home Finance Company Limited).  He has worked with the company since inception in 199O.  He previously served in the positions of Financial Controller and Finance Director.  Before joining the Company, he was an Investment Manager at Social Security & National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the national pension fund of Ghana.

He is a Graduate of the University of Ghana Business School and a Chartered Accountant by profession.   At HFC, he was a key member of the pioneer management team that successfully implemented the US$24 million housing finance component of the International Development Association (IDA) financed Urban II project (1990 - 1996).  As Finance Director, he successfully managed the issue of a total of US$18 million 5-year mortgage bonds listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange.  He was also responsible for the company's funds management subsidiary, which managed 3 mutual funds. He led the team that prepared the bank for the commencement of universal banking business in November, 2003.