Edmond John Ekele
Founder/CEO
Edmond John Ekele is the Founder/CEO of Excel Agro Value Chain Nig. Ltd; an AgTech spinoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) USA where he obtained a certificate in “New Ventures Leadership” held in Taiwan and tagged “MIT Beyond Food”. He has an MBA (Management) from the Enugu State University of Science & Technology (ESUT BUSINESS SCHOOL), a post graduate diploma in Management from the University of Calabar, a National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Accountancy from the Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State and a Microfinance Expert from the Frankfort School of Finance & Management Germany.
He was in the graduating set of the Ochaja Boys Secondary School Class of 1988 in Kogi State.
He has over 15 years Commercial and Microfinance banking experience with a strong pedigree in Retail, Consumer, Commercial, Corporate finance, Investment Banking, Agriculture and Agro-Allied business management, Micro Lending, Credit & Risk management, Product Development, Investment, Negotiation, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Strategy, Leadership and Blockchain Technology skills. A strong advocator of poverty alleviation and financial inclusion.
Edmond is also the Founder/CEO of Confluence Cycle (Marketplace Lending platform); another startup and spinoff from his business idea pitched at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2017 Bootcamps). The idea, a Revenue-Sharing Social Investment Scheme was also pitched and got selected among the top 300 startups to attend the 2017 LenditUSA Conference in New York which is the world’s biggest conference show on Online-Lending, Digital Finance and Blockchain Technology. He attended the FORBES 30UNDER30 in Boston, USA (October, 2018) for cross-fertilization of ideas.
He has worked with Eagle Bank Plc, Assurance Bank Plc, Oceanic Bank PLC, First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB), Fidelity Bank Plc and Fortis Microfinance Bank Plc as a pioneer branch manager and acting Area manager respectively with outstanding commendations from various bank managements courtesy of he and his team’s efforts on rapid accounts mobilization, conversion and profit making positions.
Edmond is a Member Advisory Council (National Association of Kogi State Postgraduate Forum) Faculty of Management Science, Kogi State University, Anyigba. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Industrialist and Corporate Administrators (FIICA), Associate member, Nigerian Institute of Management (AMNIM).
A serial entrepreneur, Edmond is from a great linage of farmers in INYE (Ankpa LGA, Kogi State) and believes that much can be done under sustainable farming by empowering female farmers in Africa and around the world with focus on the rural African woman. His outstanding performance as a visionary leader which no doubt came with a lot of sacrifice, dedication, tenacity and hard work has manifested in the dream and potency behind his startups.
He loves fish farming (Catfish & Tilapia) and has his eyes on producing his own Coffee brand.
