Tokunboh Ishmael

Co-Founder & Managing Director at Alitheia Capital

Presenter

Tokunboh Ishmael is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Alitheia Capital, the Lagos-headquartered private equity firm she co-founded in 2007 to invest in the businesses that sit between microfinance and large-cap private equity. Alitheia manages more than USD 200 million across its funds, including the Alitheia IDF, Africa's largest gender-lens fund, and has realised exits including Baobab Nigeria. The firm is now raising the USD 100 million Amplify Fund, which backs West African growth companies in agro-processing, cold chain, logistics and electric mobility, and finances the energy and digital infrastructure they need to grow.

Tokunboh chairs the investment committee of FSD Africa Investments, is a Trustee of The Earthshot Prize, and serves on the boards of Pagatech, FCMB and Arise Holdings, and as Board Chair of Prudential Insurance Nigeria. She sat on the board of the African Private Capital Association (AVCA) for over a decade, including a term as Chair.

She began her finance career in mergers and acquisitions at Salomon Smith Barney, working on more than USD 5 billion of transactions. A CFA charterholder with an MBA from London Business School, she is a Yale World Fellow and an Aspen Institute Finance Leaders Fellow, and was named to the Powerlist 2025 and 2026.