Olawale Oluwo
Mr. Bode Agusto was a calm and humble man of tremendous knowledge, a brilliant accountant and financial guru, and a trainer/human capital developer par excellence. He had the unique ability to unbundle very complex and technical stuffs into very simple and understandable levels.
I was privileged as a young banker to attend one of his 2-week residential training programmes at Gateway Hotel, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State in 1993 (30 years ago). I also served under him in 2017 when Governor Ambode appointed him as the Chairman of the strategic, private sector dominated, Lagos Economic Advisory Committee. Three of us (Akinyemi Ashade-Commissioner for Finance; Olawale Oluwo-Commissioner for Energy; and Rotimi Ogunleye-Commissioner for Commerce) represented Lagos State Government on that Committee.
Other private sector members were former MD of Polaris Bank-Kehinde Durisimi-Etti; former Ambassador-Nimi Akinkugbe; former DMD of Vetiva Capital-late Dr. Laolu Mudashiru; former Minister of Communication Technology-Dr. Omobola Johnson; former PWC CEO-Ken Igbokwe; Fashion mogul-Adenike Ogunlana; present MD of Wema Bank-Moruf Oseni; and Mrs. Yetunde Akinluyi-Secretary.
Mr. Agusto’s contributions to the financial services industry and the Nigerian economy in general will be remembered for a very long time. The one that will NEVER be forgotten is his pioneering role in putting Nigeria on the world Credit Rating map. He set up the first Credit Rating company in Nigeria – Agusto & Co Rating, which has become the industry leader and the prime credit rating firm in Nigeria.
Bode Agusto’s work of domesticating the rating process in Nigeria helped in developing the rating framework for the Federal Government’s debt instrument offerings at the DMO Auction Market, private sector companies’ debt instrument offerings on the FMDQ Exchange, and the efficiency and dynamism of the Pension Fund Industry’s investment decision making process.
May his memory be a blessing.
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