Board of Directors

Swift Networks is managed by deftly selected, intelligent, skilled, experienced, and well-motivated professionals backed by prominent Nigerian investors and world-class technology providers. The current Board of Directors of the Company is made up of the following reputable professionals who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavour.

Mr. Paul Kokoricha (Chairman)

Paul Kokoricha is a Partner of African Capital Alliance, a private equity investment management firm. He holds a B.Sc. in Economics, and he is a Chartered Accountant. Paul worked for ten years in Arthur Andersen & Co (previously a leading global accounting, auditing, and consulting firm) providing accounting, consulting, and audit services to varied clients in financial services, oil & gas, construction, and manufacturing sectors. He gained extensive experience in turnarounds, business reorganizations and systems consulting. Prior to joining African Capital Alliance, he worked for Liberty Bank Plc for eight years as Group Head of Operations with responsibility for operations and information technology across the bank. He joined African Capital Alliance in 2002 as the Chief Financial Officer before making a transition to Fund Manager role in 2004. Since then, he has been the Managing Partner of Capital Alliance Private Equity I (CAPE I), Capital Alliance Private Equity II (CAPE II), Capital Alliance Private Equity III (CAPE III) and Capital Alliance Private Equity IV (CAPE IV). In his role as Fund Manager, Paul has been actively involved in all aspects of private equity investment management including, fundraising, deal origination, due diligence, deal structuring, portfolio management, management of exits and management of the investment team. CAPE I, II, III and IV have invested in over 35 portfolio companies across several sectors, including Financial Services, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Transportation, Media, Entertainment and Business Services. He is a director of several companies including Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Continental Reinsurance Plc, Fin Insurance Limited, Bankers Warehouse Limited, Vertex Energy Limited and Swift Networks Limited. He was the Chairman of the Board of Private Equity and Venture Capital Association of Nigeria from 2017 to April 2021. Paul Kokoricha is married with three children.

Mr. Charles Anudu (Managing Director / CEO)

Charles Anudu is a renowned entrepreneur and businessman who has been severally honoured for his stellar contributions to the Nigerian economy.
Charles is the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Candel Company Limited, a major player in the Nigerian Agricultural industry and the representative of Monsanto Group in Nigeria. He had worked for Rhone-Poulenc Nigeria from 1984 to 1992, leaving the company as General Manager (Agrochemicals) to found Candel.
Charles attended University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1978-1983), and University of Ibadan, Ibadan (1996-1997), where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Crop Protection and Master of Science Degree in Plant Ecology, respectively.
Charles completed a Diploma program in Computer and Telecommunications Electronics at Devry Institute of Technology, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Anudu is a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), among other professional certifications.
Charles was among the first participants at the Advanced Management Program (AMP-1) of Lagos Business School and received international business training at IESE Business School of the University of Navarra, Spain and has attended the Owner- Director Program of INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France.

Mr. Chukwuma E. Okoye (Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer)

Chuma joined SWIFT Networks directly from Zain group/ Celtel International B.V., where his last position was Group Commercial Director responsible for all 15 African operations of the company. In this position, Chuma developed and executed the route-to-market strategy and implementation plan for all 15 African countries with annualized turnover more than $2.8 billion.
Prior to this role, Chuma worked in Nigeria for Zain / Celtel as the Chief Commercial Officer and was responsible for launching the Celtel brand in Nigeria when the Group acquired V-Mobile. During his tenure, Zain/ Celtel increased its subscriber base in Nigeria by 1.3 million (24%) within 6 months, was a close second in market position and achieved a revenue more than $1billion within one year.
Chuma joined Zain from Unilever Tanzania where he was the Chief Executive Officer. In this position, Chuma implemented a robust business plan that led to the profitability, within one year, of a company that had recorded several years of losses. Before the Tanzanian posting, Chuma had been expatriated to Russia as the Commercial Director for Unilever Foods Russia for three years and returned to Unilever Nigeria to assume the position of Logistics Director in 1998.
Chuma also worked as the Finance Director, Tractor and Equipment Nigeria (a Unilever subsidiary responsible for distribution and after-sales support of Caterpillar earth moving and related equipment) between 1993 and 1995.
Chuma was trained at the University of Nigeria where he obtained BSc, Hons. (Accountancy) degree and is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ACA) of Nigeria. He has attended many executive development courses including the Advanced Management Program of the prestigious London Business School.

Chief (Dr.) Richard U. Uche

Richard U. Uche is a Chartered Accountant by profession. He is a past president of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), as well as a former president of Nigeria Employers’ Consultatative Association (NECA).
After his articleship with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. in San Francisco, California from 1972-1976, he joined KPMG Nigeria where he was admitted a partner in 1982, He left the firm as a senior partner to join Deloitte where he retired as a senior partner. Chief Uche has elaborate experience in Audit, Accountancy and Taxation of many energy and petroleum companies in Nigeria including NNPC, Shell and Elf Petroleum. For many years, Chief Uche was the Nigerian representative and member of KPMG International Energy Group. In the banking industry, he was engagement partner for UBA, Access Bank and Fidelity Bank. He also served as partner responsible for receiverships, liquidations, insolvency, and turnaround issues.
Chief Uche is a member of many professional bodies both in Nigeria and abroad and has played a prominent role in the development of the accounting profession in Nigeria. He has authored two books including “Petroleum Accounting and Taxation in Nigeria”. He has served on the board of a number of public companies, including Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Commission (PPPRA), Nigeria Accounting Standards Board (NASB), Trustfund Pensions PLC and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
Chief Uche holds a B.Sc. Accounting (First Class Honours) degree from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance and Accounting from University of San Francisco and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Golden Gate University. He has attended professional development courses in Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and INSEAD.

Engr. Alfred Mkparu

Alfred Mkparu is a seasoned Information Communication Technology (ICT) professional with over 40 years’ experience in his field. He graduated with First Class Honors in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife and holds various professional certifications from renowned institutions across Europe and the USA.
An innovator and forward thinker, Alfred began working as a Customer Support Engineer at Joint Komputer Kompany (JKK), shortly after graduating with his Bachelors. This gave him an opportunity to join the Nigerian ICT industry in its infancy and has since worked as the Customer Support and Operations Manager in several ICT Firms, including JKK Limited, Inlaks Computers and Bull Information Systems, providing his services in the financial, manufacturing, aviation, and communication industries, amongst others. Over the past 40 years, Alfred has progressed in his ICT and leadership career, working with both local and international ICT firms. He currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Associated Data Systems and has been a member of the board of Directors of SWIFT Networks Ltd since its inception. His experience spans Hardware and Software environments, Wireless & Cable Wide Area Networking and Local Area Networking, on various manufacturer platforms.
His passion to contribute to the growth of the Nigerian economy and desire to create a sustainable environment for future generations, led him to diversify his activities. He is the Chief Operating Officer of BioWish Africa Limited (the franchisee for Africa, of the US-based BioWish Technologies, Inc). The company distributes non-GMO biosafety-compliant products which are used in commercial agriculture (growing more organic food and remediating the soil), aquaculture, as well as environment remediation.

Engr. Folorunsho Akinwande

Engr. Folorunsho Akinwande is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Instituto Technico Statale, Gubio, Italy. He started his career with Oto Melara SpA in Italy before returning to Nigeria in 1982 on transfer to Oto Melara Nigeria, with the responsibility of training the men of the Nigerian Armed Forces on the operation and repair of Oto Melara equipment. He is currently the Executive Chairman of Ellawande Nigeria and United Logistics Limited, which are major Contractors to the Ministry of Defence, Nigeria.

Mr. Edwin Mmuoemenam

Sir. Edwin Mmuoemenam is a successful entrepreneur and business administrator, with interests in Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Food Processing, Banking and Real Estate. He is the Executive Chairman of Edic Chemicals Limited and a Director of Spring Bank Plc, among others.

Mr. Afam Edozie

Afam has over 20 years’ experience in engineering, marketing and executive management in Europe and Nigeria. Afam most recently spent over four years as Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer for MTN Nigeria, where he provided commercial and strategic leadership in helping develop MTN Nigeria from start-up in Nigeria to over 2,000 staff and $500 million profit after tax.
Afam’s background also includes experience with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, where he served as a Marketing Director. As well as over nine years marketing and business management with Procter & Gamble Europe and Motorola Cellular in the UK.
He has also spent time designing and building high pressure gas infrastructure for transporting natural gas from the North Sea to London, with British Gas (now National Grid PLC.)
He currently runs FiCres Capital Ltd a private equity investment company focused on consumer markets in Nigeria.
Afam was educated at King’s College Lagos and earned a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering at The University of Lagos. He also holds a postgraduate degree in Economics from The University of London

Mr. Yakubu Tsala

Mr. Yakubu Tsala went to the Church of Brethren Mission Primary School in Mbororo Michika LGA, Adamawa State from 1962 to 1968. He proceeded to Goverment Secondary School Ganye for his O-level in 1968 to 1973. After secondary school he proceeded to Northeast College of Arts and Science for his A level before proceeding to Ahmadu Bello University, for his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture in 1976 to 1979. He did his NYSC at the Vom National Veterinary Research Institute and passed out in June 1979. He started work as Agricultural Officer in Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority. By June 1982, he went back to Ahmadu Bello University for his master’s degree in Agronomy from June 1982 to June 1984, and went back to Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority, until he resigned and joined a private farm, Gese Derdirabe Nigi. Ltd as General Manager. He left this farm at the end of 1986 to join full time Politics. He participated in the Constitutional Conference in 1994/1995 which resulted in the present Nigerian constitution. He was a founding member of PDM/PDP. He was appointed the Executive secretary of the National Sugar Development Council from 2000 to 2005 from where he resigned to contest for Senatorial seat. In 2007, he was appointed Chairman of Lake Chad Research Institute. He was also appointed the Director of the Board of National Boundry Commision representing the six states of Northeastern Nigeria i.e., Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Taraba, and Yobe States. He has been a board member of Swift Networks since inception.

Mrs. Foluso Gbadamosi

Foluso is a Business and Technology Professional. She is an Author, Speaker, Trainer, and a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach who helps individuals leverage their talents to achieve greater performance in different areas of their lives. She serves on the Board of Directors of Swift Networks, Cousant Technologies, KudaBank, the Advisory Board of Skool Media. Foluso is highly enthusiastic about improving the welfare of humanity, seeing people walk in their purpose, and being change agents to transform societies. In 2013, she co-founded a non-profit organization, Serving with Love (SWL) where she currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from George Washington University. Foluso is a John Maxwell Certified Team Member, a Certified Management Consultant and holds Certificates from the Yale CEO College, IE Business School, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is the recipient of the Role Model of the Year award by the Association of Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals, 2020 Social Good Awards in the Personal Development category, and the 2020 Seed Builders Women Impact Award for her contribution to Women Advancement & Empowerment, Digital Transformation & Humanitarian Service. Foluso has been recognized by several organizations including Guardian Woman, Leading Ladies Africa, Her Network and more as an inspiring Woman in Technology & Business. Foluso lives in Lagos and is married with two children.

Mr. Kunle Alli

Kunle Alli is an investment professional with over 15 years’ experience across Europe, Middle East and Africa. He is currently a Senior Investment Professional at African Capital Alliance within the Telecommunications, Media, and Technology, FMCG and Industrials group. At ACA, he is responsible for deal origination, structuring, investment making and managing investments across the firm’s CAPE II, III and IV Funds.
He is a director at Swift Networks, FilmHouse Group, and an Alternate board member at Food Concepts plc.