Our Woman Crush Wednesday, Olajumoke Delano is someone we would describe as a sterling legal practitioner, one whose expertise covers the legal, regulatory and policy issues affecting large complex organisations in Africa.
Olajumoke is a multi-jurisdictional lawyer qualified to practice in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the State of New York, USA. She holds a master’s degree in Banking and Finance Law from Queen Mary University of London and is a member of the Institute of Directors Nigeria, a Chartered Secretary, and a Chartered Mediator. Her strong educational background alongside her almost three decades of experience in the legal, financial, energy and infrastructure sectors has made her a formidable force to reckon with.
Over the course of her career in Citi, The Infrastructure Bank Plc, and presently at Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Plc (AEDC), she’s held varied roles including as Director, Company Secretary, Chief Compliance Officer, Investment Officer, and Financial Analyst. She thus has an in-depth understanding of the intersection between law, regulation, policy, and technology. And leveraging on her high skills, background and expertise, she has helped to transform state-owned and private enterprises.
In the energy and infrastructure sector, Olajumoke is known for contributing to innovative and practical solutions towards the delivery of safe, clean, and affordable electricity in Nigeria, with a particular interest in building platforms for collaboration across the power sector in sub-Saharan Africa.
One of her achievements as a company secretary and governance expert at AEDC, where she is also the chair of the Corporate Governance Implementation Unit, was guiding her organisation in 2020 to become the only distribution company ranked excellent in a corporate governance audit undertaken by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and World Bank. In 2021, she led a multi-disciplinary team that analysed business processes to enable the recovery of long outstanding receivables.
Another accomplishment was a successful collaboration with USAID Power Africa and Tetra Tech Energy on a business process re-engineering (BPR) approach to better prosecute electricity-related offences. This led to the establishment of the first task force on the prosecution of electricity offences; the designation of selected judges and magistrates to hear electricity-related offences in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria; and the development of the first information booklet on electricity theft.
In her current and previous roles, Olajumoke has taken pride in guiding organisations to achieve strategic corporate objectives by developing and executing appropriate frameworks that comply with relevant laws. In addition, she examines the impacts of existing and upcoming legislation and puts in place mitigating actions to prevent compliance breaches. When it comes to closing important deals and prioritising opportunities, she has delivered optimally. Her attention to detail, documentation and negotiation skills are matchless, and she is proficient in stakeholder engagement using appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms.
There is still more to Olajumoke. She is the proactive general advisor and business partner that seeks out business opportunities, identifying advantages within legislation and regulations that can promote financial viability. She is a training facilitator in areas such as energy law and regulation, corporate governance, corporate law, and company secretarial practice. She has also been a panellist on various industry panels and professional fora including Nextier Power Dialogue and the Nigerian Bar Association.
Beyond her outstanding career pursuits, she is a family woman, who is married and blessed with three children. When she is not working, she loves listening to music and learning new subjects. Olajumoke would pass for a Woman Crush Wednesday any day, anytime because of her unique endearing qualities and skills. This is why we celebrate her all the way.