NIGERIA @ 66: CELEBRATING MOST CREDIBLE ASSET MANAGEMENT FIRMS PROMOTING WEALTH CREATION IN NIGERIA - The Guardian Nigeria News

Dr. Odiri Oginni, Chief Executive Officer, United Capital Asset Management Limited

Dr. Odiri Oginni, Chief Executive Officer, United Capital Asset Management Limited

UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT: DEMOCRATIZING WEALTH CREATION FOR 66 YEARS AND BEYOND.. Dr. Odiri Oginni, MD/CEO United Capital Asset Management Limited.

In Nigeria’s evolving financial landscape, few names command as much trust, performance and innovation as United Capital Asset Management Limited. A subsidiary of United Capital Plc, the firm has consistently ranked among Nigeria’s most credible and best-performing asset managers, transforming asset management from an elite preserve into an everyday tool for wealth creation.

As Nigeria marks 66 years of independence, the firm’s journey is one of discipline, trust and purpose-led investing. In an exclusive chat, Dr. Odiri Oginni, Chief Executive Officer, shares how she is building an enduring institution for wealth.

For Dr. Oginni, asset management is fundamentally a business of trust. “For me, the leadership formula has been a combination of discipline, innovation, people, and trust. Clients entrust us with money that represents years of hard work, their children’s education, retirement, business aspirations and their hopes for a better future,” she says.

That responsibility goes beyond generating returns. It demands disciplined risk management, deep understanding of the macro environment, continuous innovation, and clear communication, especially in difficult markets.

Over the years, United Capital has invested heavily in its people and in building an organisation that can continuously evolve.

“My role as CEO has not been just about growing Assets under Management; it has been about building an institution with the capabilities, culture and resilience to continue creating value. Our growth in AUM is important, but what matters even more is the trust represented by those assets. That is the real measure of our responsibility.”

United Capital Asset Management has deliberately shattered the myth that investing is only for the wealthy or for financial experts.

The strategy starts with inclusive product design. Its suite today spans Money Market Fund, Bond Fund, Nigerian Eurobond Fund, Global Fixed Income Fund, Equity Fund, Balanced Fund, Sukuk Fund, Wealth for Women Fund and Children Investment Fund, among others.

With a minimum investment of just ₦10,000 in its Money Market Fund, the firm has lowered the barrier for first-time investors. Its Wealth for Women Fund was created from a recognition that financial inclusion cannot be gender-neutral if participation patterns are not gender-neutral. It was designed specifically to increase women’s access to long-term wealth creation.

“But products alone are not enough. We have to change the language of investing,” Dr. Oginni notes. “Instead of telling a young Nigerian, ‘You need to buy a mutual fund,’ we say, ‘How do you want to build your emergency fund? How will you finance your child’s education? What does financial independence look like for you?’ When investment products are connected to real-life goals, investing becomes less abstract and more relevant.”

In an environment shaped by inflation, FX volatility and monetary tightening, United Capital’s edge lies in diversification and disciplined allocation.

“There is no single asset allocation that is appropriate for every investor or every economic environment,” she explains.

In periods of elevated interest rates, fixed income and money market instruments can provide attractive income and liquidity. At the same time, equities remain important for investors with longer horizons because wealth creation cannot rely solely on short-term income.

The firm has expanded access beyond traditional naira assets through its Nigerian Eurobond Fund and Global Fixed Income Fund, enabling investors to diversify across asset class, duration, currency and risk.

“Preservation and growth are not competing objectives; they have to be balanced according to the investor’s circumstances. Our job is to continuously assess the macroeconomic environment and position portfolios within their mandates while maintaining a disciplined risk-management framework.”

Technology sits at the heart of United Capital’s inclusion agenda. Its InvestNow digital platform removes traditional frictions. Investors can open accounts, access portfolios, invest and initiate redemptions digitally.

“I do not see technology only as a distribution channel. The bigger opportunity is to use technology to make investing simpler, more transparent and more personalized,” Dr. Oginni says.

Historically, the industry has communicated in a language that assumes the investor already understands markets. Technology offers the opportunity to redesign that experience from onboarding and education to reporting and engagement.

It also expands reach. A digital platform allows Nigerians across the country and in the diaspora to participate in professionally managed solutions without physical constraints.

“The future is not digital versus human. It is digital and human, using technology for convenience, accessibility and scale while retaining the professional advice and trust that investors need.”

While Assets Under Management is a measure of scale, Dr. Oginni measures impact more broadly. Every naira that moves from idle savings into a professionally managed vehicle becomes part of a larger ecosystem financing governments, businesses and economic activity.

But the greatest long-term impact, she argues, is behavioural. “Nigeria does not only have an investment participation challenge; we have a wealth-building challenge. Many people earn income for decades without developing a structured investment habit.”

That belief drives the firm’s focus on financial literacy and investor education – helping investors understand risk, time horizon, diversification, volatility and the behavioural biases that influence decisions. Vision to Nigeria @ 66

Looking to the next decade, Dr. Oginni’s vision is clear: to help move Nigeria from a culture of earning and consuming to a culture of earning, investing and building wealth.