Learning led by practitioners

Dr. Obioha Oti is a distinguished business executive, management consultant, corporate trainer, entrepreneur, and professional development leader with over two decades of experience spanning banking, financial services, fintech, agency banking, business development, sales leadership, entrepreneurship, executive education, and organizational development.

He serves as Registrar of the AMMBAN Training Institute for Merchants and Agents (ATIMA) and National President of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN). He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Upswing Consulting and Training Limited and Chief Enterprise Strategist of Experience to Enterprise Hub (EEH), where he focuses on enterprise development, executive transformation, professional capacity building, and the conversion of experience and expertise into sustainable business value.

As Registrar of ATIMA, Dr. Oti provides strategic and institutional leadership for the professionalisation, competency development, certification, continuous professional development, and capacity building of merchants, mobile money operators, bank agents, entrepreneurs, and other participants in Nigeria's financial services ecosystem. His focus is on building practitioners who are not only technically competent, but also professional, ethical, customer-focused, technology-enabled, commercially aware, and capable of building sustainable enterprises.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Oti has trained, coached, mentored, and developed thousands of executives, managers, entrepreneurs, business owners, financial services professionals, and frontline practitioners. His areas of expertise include agency banking, digital financial services, banking and finance, sales and business development, customer relationship management, entrepreneurship, leadership, negotiation, compliance, risk awareness, technology adoption, and enterprise development.

His approach to professional development is highly practical and industry-driven, combining real-world experience, contemporary business practices, case studies, interactive learning, practical frameworks, technology-enabled training, and immediately applicable tools. Through this approach, he has helped professionals and organizations strengthen capability, improve performance, develop stronger customer relationships, embrace technology, and translate knowledge into measurable business outcomes.

Dr. Oti is particularly passionate about strengthening the knowledge, professionalism, ethical standards, operational capability, and enterprise sustainability of Nigeria's merchant and agent ecosystem. At ATIMA, he is committed to advancing structured professional education, industry standards, certification, continuous learning, and practical competency development that can contribute to a stronger, more resilient, compliant, and technology-enabled financial inclusion ecosystem.

Beyond ATIMA, his broader professional work reflects a strong commitment to enterprise transformation and human capital development—helping professionals leverage their experience, knowledge, relationships, and credibility to create new opportunities, build enterprises, and generate sustainable economic value.

He holds a B.Eng., M.Sc. in Engineering Management (ESUT), DBA (NUA), and LL.D. (Honoris Causa). He is a Fellow of IMC-Nigeria and a member of CIBN, ICEN, CIFCON, NSE, and other professional bodies. His career reflects a sustained commitment to professional excellence, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, leadership development, and the advancement of Nigeria's financial services and enterprise ecosystem.

Comrade Noah Enesata is an experienced educator, facilitator, lecturer, technology educator, and financial inclusion practitioner with over a decade of practical experience contributing to the development of Nigeria's agency banking and financial inclusion ecosystem.

He serves as Dean of the Faculty of the AMMBAN Training Institute for Merchants and Agents (ATIMA), where he provides academic and instructional leadership in the development and delivery of practical training programmes for merchants, agents, entrepreneurs, and financial services practitioners.

A strong advocate of financial inclusion, financial literacy, digital skills, and professional capacity development, Comrade Enesata has played an important role in equipping practitioners with the knowledge and practical competencies required to participate effectively in Nigeria's evolving financial services ecosystem.

He was among the first four practitioners selected and trained by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2013 to pioneer agency banking in Nasarawa State, giving him valuable first-hand experience of the development of Nigeria's agency banking model. His practical industry knowledge has continued to inform his work in training, mentorship, financial literacy, and practitioner development.

As an educator and technology advocate, he is also the Executive Director of NAAH's Computer Institute, where he has contributed to advancing computer literacy and digital skills development in North-Central Nigeria. His wider educational experience includes lecturing and online instruction, alongside the coordination of practical learning programmes.

At ATIMA, his focus is on strengthening faculty effectiveness, practical learning, curriculum delivery, professional competency, digital literacy, financial literacy, and continuous capacity development. He also promotes awareness and education around tax compliance, business enterprise, internet safety, and the prevention of ATM and card-related fraud.

Comrade Enesata holds a Master's degree from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Business Administration.

Abdulrahman Aliyu is a financial services professional, entrepreneur, administrator, and principal consultant with over a decade of experience spanning banking, financial services, business development, financial administration, and enterprise management.

He serves as Bursar of the AMMBAN Training Institute for Merchants and Agents (ATIMA), bringing practical experience in financial management, budgeting, financial administration, accountability, governance, and institutional resource management.

As Bursar of ATIMA, Abdulrahman is responsible for supporting the Institute's financial planning, budget management, revenue administration, expenditure control, financial reporting, record management, and financial accountability, helping to ensure that ATIMA's resources are managed prudently and in alignment with its institutional objectives.

He is a licensed Business Development Service Provider (BDSP) and holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Maiduguri. He is also the Managing Director of a business enterprise where he provides strategic leadership in business development, innovation, technology-enabled operations, administration, and sustainable growth.

His experience across financial services and enterprise management has equipped him with a practical understanding of financial discipline, operational efficiency, risk awareness, resource optimisation, and sustainable institutional development.

Abdulrahman has participated in numerous national and international conferences and professional engagements, gaining exposure to emerging trends, global practices, and contemporary approaches to financial management, enterprise development, governance, and institutional administration.

At ATIMA, he is committed to promoting sound financial stewardship, transparency, accountability, efficiency, and responsible resource management in support of the Institute's mission of developing competent, professional, and financially sustainable merchants and agents.

Michael Oladele Obafemi is a seasoned agency banking executive, financial inclusion practitioner, agent network specialist, and enterprise development professional with over a decade of experience across banking, fintech, agency banking, digital financial services, and financial inclusion.

He serves as a Member of the Management Team of the AMMBAN Training Institute for Merchants and Agents (ATIMA) and Head of the Fiscal and Monetary Policy Department, where he contributes to the Institute's professional development, policy engagement, industry research, and capacity-building initiatives. His work is particularly focused on helping practitioners understand the broader economic, financial, regulatory, and policy environment within which agency banking and financial services operate.

Michael has played a significant role in the development and expansion of Nigeria's agency banking ecosystem. As National Programme Director of AMMBAN, he has provided strategic leadership in agent network development and pioneered the establishment of Neighbourhood Financial Inclusion Centres (NFIC)—a support structure designed to equip agents with the tools and capabilities required to deliver essential financial and identity-related services to underserved communities.

He has also facilitated strategic partnerships with financial institutions and technology companies to expand agent capabilities, strengthen service delivery, and deepen financial inclusion. His industry contributions include supporting the development of ATIMA as a platform for professional standards, structured learning, and capacity development for merchants and agents.

As an entrepreneur, Michael is a Director of Tembet Solutions Limited, a financial inclusion and agency banking enterprise established in 2012, with operations across Benue, Kogi, and Bauchi States. He also co-founded Lighthouse Technology Solutions Ltd, an energy and payment solutions company serving a network of more than 5,000 agents across Nigeria.

His professional career began in banking, where he gained practical experience in teller operations, customer service, business development, sales, and financial services delivery. He subsequently served as a Field Sales Supervisor with Paga, focusing on agent recruitment, network expansion, and merchant growth.

With a B.Tech and MBA, Michael combines practical industry experience with management and technology expertise. He is a member of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM).

At ATIMA, he brings a strong practitioner perspective to policy, financial inclusion, agency banking, industry development, enterprise growth, and professional capacity building, contributing to the Institute's objective of developing a more knowledgeable, capable, compliant, and sustainable merchant and agent ecosystem.

Afolabi Modupe Janet is a results-oriented real estate and financial services professional with multidisciplinary experience spanning real estate, property consultancy, banking, financial inclusion, business development, and relationship management. She brings a strong combination of technical knowledge, professional discipline, customer engagement expertise, and practical experience within Nigeria's financial services ecosystem.

She is a Member of the Management Team of the AMMBAN Training Institute for Merchants and Agents (ATIMA) and serves as Head of Student Affairs, where she contributes to the effective coordination, engagement, support, and overall learning experience of ATIMA participants. In this capacity, she works to ensure that students and participants receive the guidance, information, support, and institutional engagement required to have a productive and rewarding experience throughout their learning journey.

Modupe's professional background in business relationship management, customer service, financial inclusion, and business development provides a strong foundation for her role in Student Affairs. She understands the importance of responsive communication, participant engagement, stakeholder coordination, and building positive professional relationships—competencies that are essential to creating a supportive and learner-centred institutional environment.

Her career in financial services includes serving as a State Coordinator with Wema Bank Plc and subsequently as a Business Relationship Manager with Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, where she gained valuable experience in business development, customer relationship management, financial inclusion, stakeholder engagement, and financial services delivery. These experiences have strengthened her ability to work effectively with diverse groups of professionals, entrepreneurs, merchants, agents, and other stakeholders.

At ATIMA, she is committed to fostering a professional, inclusive, responsive, and supportive learning environment, while strengthening communication between students, faculty, management, and other institutional stakeholders. Her role is central to promoting student engagement, addressing participant needs, supporting student welfare, coordinating student-related activities, and helping ensure that the ATIMA learning experience meets the professional standards of the Institute.

Modupe holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. She is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).

At ATIMA, she brings together her experience in financial services, relationship management, business development, and professional engagement to support the Institute's commitment to developing competent, confident, professional, and enterprise-ready merchants and agents.

Tiamiyu Olawale Kabir is a research professional, analytical manager, and performance measurement specialist who serves as the Examiner of the AMMBAN Training Institute for Merchants and Agents (ATIMA). In this critical institutional role, he is responsible for supporting the integrity, quality, consistency, and professional relevance of ATIMA's assessment and examination processes.

As Examiner of ATIMA, Tiamiyu plays an important role in ensuring that the Institute's examinations and competency assessments are properly structured, objectively administered, consistently evaluated, and aligned with the knowledge, skills, and professional competencies expected of merchants, mobile money operators, bank agents, and other financial services practitioners. His responsibilities support ATIMA's commitment to credible certification, professional standards, academic integrity, and continuous competency development.

His strong background in research, data analysis, quantitative and qualitative assessment, performance measurement, business planning, and strategic analysis provides a valuable foundation for his examination responsibilities. He brings an evidence-based and analytical approach to assessment, with particular attention to accuracy, objectivity, measurement, performance standards, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.

Tiamiyu's professional experience spans business planning and development, market research, networking and sales, brand marketing, social media advertising, reputation and performance measurement, sales analysis, product measurement and improvement, data management and interpretation, and strategic planning. He also possesses strong capabilities in research report writing, analytical presentation, and translating complex information into actionable insights.

At ATIMA, he contributes to the development of an assessment culture that goes beyond testing theoretical knowledge. His focus is on helping ensure that ATIMA's assessment framework appropriately measures practical competence, professional understanding, operational capability, ethical awareness, and readiness to perform effectively within Nigeria's evolving financial services and agency banking ecosystem.

He is an enthusiastic team player, researcher, communicator, astute manager, and transformative leader, with a strong commitment to resource optimisation, measurable performance, professional excellence, and results-driven institutional development.

Tiamiyu holds a B.Sc. (Hons) and professional qualifications including GnldLC (2006) and CIM. His combination of analytical expertise, research capability, performance measurement experience, and strategic business knowledge strengthens his contribution to ATIMA's mission of developing competent, professional, responsible, and industry-ready merchants and agents.