Sir Ayobola Abiola, the chairman of Cedrus Microfinance Bank, is an economics, finance, and banking expert with three decades of banking experience spanning investment, commercial, and development banking in leading financial institutions.

He is currently the Founder & CEO of Fullhouse Advisory Partners, an investment and financial advisory services firm.

In addition to his current role, he is presently on a national assignment as a member of the Technical Working Group set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria to prepare the new National Development Plan (Agenda 2050), the successor plan to Vision 2020.

Before this, he had been an analyst for International Merchant Bank (a subsidiary of First National Bank of Chicago), the Senior Vice President of First City Monument Bank, the Managing Director/ Country CEO of United Bank for Africa Tanzania, and an Executive Director for Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria at different times.

In the banking industry, Sir Ayobola Abiola is regarded as a man of strong ethical values. Under his watch as the founding CEO of UBA Tanzania, the bank earned consecutive outstanding audit ratings without a single regulatory infraction throughout his tenure. Ayobola sits on the Boards of ChamsSwitch Limited, Capstone Development (West Africa), and The Country Beach & Residency.

He holds BSc (Second Class Upper) and MSc degrees in Economics from Ekiti State University and Obafemi Awolowo University respectively as well as an MBA (Distinction) from Bangor University Business School, Wales.

A member of the Chartered Banker Institute United Kingdom (MCBI), an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (ACIB) as well as a Certified Risk Manager ( CRM) and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI). He has attended advanced leadership trainings at leading institutions including Harvard Business School and Said Business School, Oxford University.

Ayobola is a Knight of Saint James, African Church Nigeria, and a traditional title holder of Otunba Tayese of Omu Aran land.