Standard Chartered has appointed Dalu Ajene as chief executive officer for Africa, expanding his remit to include head of coverage for the region, the bank said on Tuesday.
Ajene, who has led Standard Chartered Nigeria since April 2024, will oversee the lender’s operations across the continent at a time when African markets are playing a growing role in global trade, investment flows and development finance.
During his tenure in Nigeria, Ajene steered the bank to strong year-on-year financial performance and led efforts to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s ₦200 billion ($130 million) recapitalisation requirement for national commercial banks ahead of the March 2026 deadline. Prior to joining Standard Chartered, he served as chief executive of Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria.
Ajene has more than 25 years of experience in global financial services and is seen as a key figure in Standard Chartered’s strategy to deepen its presence in high-growth emerging markets.
“Having had the privilege of leading Standard Chartered Nigeria over the past two years, I am deeply honoured to now take on broader responsibilities across Africa,” Ajene said. “Across the region, Standard Chartered remains a key partner in trade finance, structured solutions and development finance, leveraging technology to deliver client-centric services anchored on trust.”
He added that the bank would focus on accelerating growth across its corporate and investment banking as well as wealth and retail businesses, while mobilising capital to support sustainable economic development.
Ajene holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
He succeeds Kariuki Ngari, who served as CEO for Africa, and assumes responsibilities previously held under Sarmad Lone’s Africa coverage portfolio.
