Chairman Tony Elumelu Welcomes Two “Exceptional Leaders” To Top Positions At Heirs Group

As part of its continued investment in human capital as a strategic driver of its broader ambitions, Heirs Holdings Group has announced the appointment of two seasoned professionals to key leadership positions within the organization.

Chairman Tony Elumelu, in a statement, welcomed Azubike Emodi as the new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Afriland Properties Plc, succeeding Uzo Oshogwe, who has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Hotels Plc after leading Afriland since its inception in 2013.

Emodi, a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in financial services, real estate development, and strategic planning, has held leadership roles at Royal Bank of Canada, VFD Group, VBank, Anchoria Asset Management, and, most recently, Herel Global, where he spearheaded high-impact real estate and financial projects.

He is expected to drive Afriland’s vision, leveraging its position as one of Nigeria’s largest land banks and executing major residential and commercial real estate developments in its pipeline.

Additionally, Chidi Okpala has been appointed Executive Director – Payments, Group Integration & Strategy (PGIS) at Heirs Holdings Group. In this capacity, Okpala will lead the Group’s technology and healthcare business sectors while working closely with the leadership team to implement expansion strategies.

Okpala, who brings over two decades of leadership experience across financial services, FinTech, telecommunications, and strategy consulting, has worked with leading firms such as Accenture, United Bank for Africa, and Bharti Airtel International.

Most recently, he served as CEO of Asante Financial Services Group.

Elumelu, a frontrunner African investor and philanthropist, expressed confidence in the impact both leaders will have, emphasizing their role in advancing the Group’s mission of creating value across its diverse business sectors.

“I am pleased to welcome two exceptional leaders into our Group,” he declared.

Founded by the Chairman of UBA (United Bank for Africa)—the financial powerhouse serving over 45 million customers worldwide—as his family-owned investment company, Heirs Holdings is committed to improving lives and transforming Africa through long-term investments in strategic sectors of the African economy, including financial services, hospitality, power, energy, technology, and healthcare.

This objective complements Elumelu’s unceasing global campaign for a better Africa through mutually beneficial initiatives while fostering development and shared prosperity across the continent.

A key driver of this change is the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), which has empowered over 20,000 entrepreneurs who have created 400,000 direct and indirect jobs.