Uche Orji is CEO of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, based in Abuja, Nigeria. A native of Nigeria, he has had over 20 years experience in various financial roles including semiconductor analyst in Europe and the US, before returning to Nigeria just over 8 years ago. He also holds a number of Board roles.

Our conversation starts with Uche’s early career in investment banking and particularly semiconductor research. We hear about his swift rise to prominence in this area, and his global vantage point in this dynamic industry. We then move to what motivated his move home to Nigeria when he answered the call to take on a role at the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority. This was a huge move – both in terms of responsibility and life direction but it was something he felt had immense sense of purpose and he committed to giving it all of his energy.

We discuss what is at the forefront of his mind in his current role – from portfolio diversification to investing locally in the emerging technology sector across all of Africa. We discuss some misperceptions that abound about investor interest in Africa and why these misperceptions persist.

Finally we reflect on people and organizations that have been influential and inspirational for Uche over his career so far. It is an enlightening conversation.

This series was made possible by the kind support of Main Street Partners, a London-based independent and dedicated sustainable investment advisor that provides ESG multi-asset and multi-manager portfolios and a range of holistic portfolio analytics tools including sustainability ratings and bespoke sustainability intelligence. It was also supported by Carbonado Partners, an industry expert in capital raising for all asset classes, that endeavors to provide thoughtful solutions that address emerging managers’ perspectives and challenges