Profile
Saratu Umar is an investment promotion and development-finance professional with more than three decades of experience across banking, finance, consulting and public institutions in Nigeria.
Her career combines long-form technical experience in export and development finance with senior leadership in investment promotion, institutional reform, governance and international investor engagement.
She served twice as Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission and spent 22 years at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, where she worked across many of the institution's core business, financing, strategy and operational functions.
Career journey
Current work
Founder / Chief Executive Officer
Saratu leads Aisston Consulting Ltd, with work spanning management consulting, financial and business advisory, investment and export services, strategy, risk management, project management, people and organisation, public-sector advisory and public-sector governance.
Public service · Investment promotion
Executive Secretary / Chief Executive Officer
Saratu served twice as Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Nigeria's national investment promotion agency.
Her second tenure included work on the Nigerian Investment Promotion Masterplan and the National Investment Promotion Coordination Framework, alongside a reform agenda covering governance, accountability, standardised processes, risk management, stakeholder engagement, investment strategy and technology.
The role also involved engagement with Ministries, Departments and Agencies, state investment promotion agencies, investors, investor-support organisations, the media and the diplomatic community.
Development and export finance
Saratu built a 22-year career at NEXIM Bank, progressing from Export Credit Officer roles through management and senior management to General Manager-level positions.
Over that period, she served in or led many of the Bank's key departments, developing experience across finance, operations, business development, strategy, people management and governance.
Administered the Bank's credit guarantee and insurance facilities and implemented strategic and operational decisions related to the function.
Worked across business and financial advisory, product development, strategic partnerships, fund sourcing, business expansion and credit appraisal.
Served as Acting Head of Strategic Planning, with responsibility for coordinating implementation of the Bank's corporate strategy.
Led Human Resources Development, including performance management, training, succession planning, recruitment, staff placement and welfare, and also acted as Head of Administration Services.
Led administration of short-term facilities, including disbursement, monitoring, supervision and repayment.
Worked on appraisal of medium- and long-term loan applications, project monitoring, restructuring and rescheduling, client relationships and portfolio analysis.
Led operations in the Lagos / Southwest Area Office, including business development, operational coordination and representation of the Bank.
Worked on Board-related duties and provided secretariat support, including Board meeting records.
This breadth of experience formed much of the technical and managerial foundation for her later work in investment promotion, institutional reform and advisory leadership.
Read the development-finance storyBoard experience
Independent Board Member
Independent Board Member
International engagement
During her most recent NIPC tenure, she also led engagement with the diplomatic community and held investment discussions involving representatives from Japan and China.
Education
Professional memberships and credentials