Uche Orji was previously the MD and CEO of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), since its inception in 2012 until 2022. Uche designed and operationalised NSIA and under his leadership, NSIA became a highly regarded global multi-strategy investment institution, as well as serving as a vehicle for implementing key commercial infrastructure projects and investing Nigeria’s savings.
Prior to the NSIA, Uche gained extensive experience on both the sell-side and buy-sides of the capital markets in Europe, USA, and Asia. Between 2006 – 2012, Uche was a Managing Director and Senior US/Global Semiconductor Analyst at UBS Securities, New York and between 2001-2006, Uche was Managing Director /Senior Semiconductor Analyst, at JP Morgan Securities, London. Prior to his sell-side experience, Uche was on the buy-side at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, London from 1998-2001 where he was an Analyst/Portfolio Manager.
Earlier in Uche’s career in Nigeria, he was Acting Financial Controller at Diamond Bank Plc., Lagos, Nigeria (later acquired in 2019 by Access Bank) and was an auditor at the firm of Arthur Andersen & Co (later acquired by KPMG).
Uche has previously held Board roles as Chairman of the Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit), Non-Executive Director/Interim Board Chairman/ Chair of Investment Committee of the Development Bank of Nigeria, Non-Executive Director/ Chair of Credit Committee – Family Homes Funds Limited Nigeria, Non-Executive Director Chairman of Credit Committee – Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company and Non-Executive Director, NG Clearing Limited.
Uche also served as an advisory member of the G-7 taskforce on Impact Investing under the Presidency of the United Kingdom and currently serves on the European Union Commission’s High-level Expert Group for the Scaling up of capital for lower- and middle-income countries, as an expert.
Uche has a Bachelor of Engineering degree (Chemical Engineering) from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 1990; and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School, Massachusetts, USA, 1998.