Deloitte names Yomi Olugbenro as next CEO for West Africa business
Global professional services firm Deloitte has appointed Yomi Olugbenro as CEO-elect for its West Africa regional business.
In his new role, Yomi Olugbenro will lead Deloitte’s strategic direction, operations, and teams in West Africa, which spans countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. He assumes the role on 1 June 2026, taking over from current CEO Fatai Folarin, who will retire at the end of May 2026.
Olugbenro has 20 years of experience in the areas of tax and fiscal policy issues. He has led several tax services covering business tax, employment tax, international tax, transfer pricing, transaction tax, tax dispute resolution, tax strategy and risks, tax structuring, and tax optimisation solutions.
Throughout his two-decade career with Deloitte, he has built a broad network in both the private and public sectors, with extensive experience across industries such as banking, manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods, and professional services.
Beyond his role at the Big Four firm, Olugbenro is the Chair of the Board of Tax & Fiscal Policy Faculty of ICAN, former Chair of the Indirect Tax Faculty of CITN, and a regular speaker at local and international conferences.
Olugbenro currently serves as the Tax Leader for West Africa, based in Nigeria. Speaking about his appointment, he said: “West Africa is experiencing meaningful economic growth and is poised for technological transformation. I look forward to collaborating with our teams and stakeholders to drive long-term market growth. We will continue to harness the power of AI to drive innovation, deliver insight, and support our clients across our market to transform the future of work.”
Commenting on Olugbenro’s appointment, Ruwayda Redfearn, CEO of Deloitte Africa, said: “Yomi’s outstanding leadership and deep understanding of the West African market make him exceptionally well-suited to lead our West Africa business into its next chapter. His appointment reflects our strong confidence in his vision and ability to steer our organisation to even greater heights.”
“As businesses stand at the untapped edge of AI’s potential, we are committed to fostering innovation and investing in advanced technology platforms. Under Yomi’s leadership, Deloitte will work alongside clients in West Africa to turn ambition into action, supporting them as they seek to embed AI at the heart of their operations and growth. I look forward to collaborating with him as we shape this exciting new chapter together.”
