July 9, 2025
Banking

Segun Agbaje: The personal and professional journey of the banking titan


Segun Agbaje is Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank’s CEO and managing director. As one of Africa’s leading business leaders, Agbaje has received multiple awards, including the 2016 West African Business Leader of the Year.

Segun Agbaje sits with his hands folded in a portrait.
Segun Agbaje poses in an office with folded hands. Photo: @themediagood (modified by author)
Source: Twitter

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Julius Kosebinu Olusegun Agbaje, famously known as Segun Agbaje, is a Nigerian banker.
  • He has held his current role as the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc’s CEO since 12 July 2011.
  • He was first appointed as the bank’s deputy managing director in August 2002, a position he took over fully on 22 June 2011.
  • Segun Agbaje is married to Derin Agbaje, née Olakunrin.

Profile summary

Full name Julius Kosebinu Olusegun Agbaje
Common name Segun Agbaje
Gender Male
Date of birth July 1964
Age 61 years as of 2025
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Nationality Nigerian
Current residence Lagos, Nigeria
Ethnicity Black
Religion Muslim
Sexuality Straight
Hair colour Black and grey
Eye colour Brown
Mother Margaret Olabisi Agbaje
Father Julius Kosebinu Agbaje
Siblings 1
Marital status Married
Spouse Derin Olakunrin Agbaje
Elementary education St. Gregory’s College
College education University of San FranciscoHarvard Business School
Profession Chief executive officer
Net worth $1 million–$5 million

Exploring Segun Agbaje’s biography

Segun Agbaje was born in July 1964 to Margaret Olabisi and Julius Kosebinu Agbaje in Lagos, Nigeria. He is 61 years old (as of 2025), and his zodiac sign is Cancer. The second-generation banker was raised in Lagos alongside his brother, Olujimi ‘Jimi’ Kolawole Agbaje.

Top five facts about Segun Agbaje.
Top five facts about Guaranty Trust Bank Plc’s CEO and managing director, Segun Agbaje. Photo: @AfricaisHOME2 on X (Twitter) (modified by author)
Source: Twitter

His father, Chief Julius Kosebinu Agbaje, was a banker by profession. He was one of the first African bankers, managing the Bank of British West Africa, now the First Bank of Nigeria. Among other positions, he also headed Guaranty Trust Bank as its pioneer chairman and the Federal Palace Hotels.

Segun Agbaje’s mother, Margaret Olabisi Agbaje née Epega, was a Mathematics teacher in Lagos, teaching at Holy Child College, Queen’s College and St. Joseph’s Teacher Training College, Surulere. In 1971, she became the headmistress at St. Catherine’s Model School, Surulere, until 1982.

Exploring Segun Agbaje’s educational background

Like his father, Segun Agbaje attended St. Gregory’s College, an elite all-boys public secondary school in Obalende, Lagos. He also attended St Augustine’s Academy, Kent, England, in the United Kingdom.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting from the University of San Francisco. In 1988, he completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the university. The Harvard Business School alumnus serves on the Lagos Business School’s Advisory Board.

Segun Agbaje speaks on a podium in a purple suit.
Segun Agbaje stands up to speak on a podium. Photo: @Resourcery1985
Source: Facebook

Insight into Segun Agbaje’s career

Early in his career, Agbaje worked as a staff auditor at Ernst & Young in San Francisco from 1988 to 1990. In 1991, he joined Guaranty Trust Bank as part of its pioneer staff, where he rose through the ranks into leadership.

The Nigerian banker held various positions at the bank before being named Executive Director in 2002. During this time, he was instrumental in steering the bank into its first ₦2.5 billion public offer in 2002, $350 million Eurobond offer and $750 million Global Depository Receipts listing in 2007.

Segun was instrumental in making GTB the first Nigerian company and Sub-Saharan bank to be listed on the London Stock Exchange main market. He later became the firm’s Deputy Managing Director, a position he held from August 2002 to April 2011.

He co-chairs the MasterCard Advisory Board in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In 2020, he was elected to the Board of Directors of PepsiCo Inc., where he serves as an independent director. Most recently, he was appointed as the international ambassador for the Swiss Red Cross.

On 12 July 2011, he became Guaranty Trust Bank Plc’s Chief Executive Officer and its Managing Director on 22 June 2011. In this position, he won recognition for his efforts in the Nigerian and regional financial sector through the following awards;

  • 2022 Outstanding Contribution in Banking Sector, Nigeria by the World Business Outlook
  • 2022 Africa Brand Leadership Excellence by Brand Africa 100
  • 2021, 2020, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013 African Banker of The Year by World Finance Banking Awards
  • 2019, 2018 Managing Director of the Year, Nigeria by Global 100 and Corporate USA Today
  • 2018 Banker of the Year by World Finance Awards
  • 2018 CEO of the Year Award by African Investor Awards
  • 2018 African Banker of the Year by African Leadership Magazine
  • 2017, 2016, 2015 CEO of the Year by Finance Monthly CEO Awards
  • 2017, 2016 CEO of the Year, Africa Investor Awards and EMEA Finance
  • 2016 African Banker of the Year by African Banker Magazine Awards
  • 2015 West Africa Business Leader of the Year by CNBC Africa All Business Leaders Awards

Is Segun Agbaje married?

The acclaimed banker is married to Derin Agbaje, née Olakunrin. Although much is not known about Segun Agbaje’s wife, PunchNG reports that the interior designer is the daughter of Nigeria’s first female chartered accountant, Chief Olutoyin Olakunrin.

Fast facts about Segun Agbaje

  1. Who is Segun Agbaje? He is Guaranty Trust Bank Plc’s CEO and managing director.
  2. What is Segun Agbaje’s full name? The Nigerian banker’s full name is Julius Kosebinu Olusegun Agbaje.
  3. What is Segun Agbaje’s age? Born in July 1964, Agbaje is 61 years old as of 2025.
  4. Which state is Segun Agbaje from? He was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria.
  5. Who is Derin Agbaje? She is an interior designer married to Segun Agbaje.
  6. Are Segun Agbaje and Jimi Agbaje related? Olujimi ‘Jimi’ Kolawole and Segun Agbaje are biological brothers.
  7. How much is Segun Agbaje’s net worth? According to Business Insider Africa, the acclaimed banker has an alleged net worth of ₦457 million ($295,227).
  8. How much is Segun Agbaje’s salary? Based on reports by Business Day, he earned about ₦456.5 million ($294,950) in 2023 and ₦471 million ($304,318) in 2024.

GTB’s CEO, Segun Agbaje, is one of Nigeria’s elite business leaders. Since 1991, his influence has driven Guaranty Trust Bank Plc into regional and continental success. He is married to Derin Agbaje, née Olakunrin.

Legit.ng has recently published an article about Simon Guobadia’s net worth. The Nigerian businessman has grown his popularity through his appearances on the Real Housewives of Atlanta, through his relationships with Porsha Williams and Falynn Pina.

The American-based businessman has grown his wealth through software development, consultancy, oil, gas and petroleum. He is a notable figure in Nigerian business circles through food, hospitality, recreation and entertainment circles.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng





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