Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes is a Nigerian investor and entrepreneur who has built a reputation for championing women-led businesses and underserved founders. She founded Aruwa Capital Management to back growth-stage companies that create real economic and social impact across West Africa.
Profile Summary
| Full name | Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes |
| Date of birth | 16 February 1990 |
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| State of origin | Lagos State |
| Partner | Married |
| Children | Two sons |
| Occupations | Investor, entrepreneur, founder, CEO, fund manager |
| Net worth | 10-20 million USD |
Early life and education
Adesuwa Okunbo was born and raised in Lagos, Adesuwa spent part of her childhood in the UK, where she completed secondary school before returning to study economics at university. From an early age she showed an affinity for numbers and global issues, and those interests shaped her decision to pursue a career in finance.
Career
Adesuwa launched her career in investment banking and moved through roles in mergers and acquisitions, leveraged finance, private equity, and growth investing. She worked with several leading firms before founding Aruwa Capital Management in 2019.
Under her leadership, Aruwa focuses on scaling companies that serve women, are founded or led by women, or otherwise improve women’s lives, and it invests across sectors such as healthcare, financial services, energy, consumer goods, and technology.
She has also taken on board and advisory roles at other institutions and continues to speak and mentor on gender-lens investing and entrepreneurship.
Personal life
Adesuwa keeps her family life private but is known to be married and a mother. She balances the demands of family with leading a growing investment firm and engaging in advocacy work to expand access to capital for women entrepreneurs.
Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes comes from a prominent Nigerian family with strong business, philanthropic, and royal ties.
She is the daughter of the late Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist from Edo State. She is one of 12 children, and her siblings include Osahon Okunbo and Olori Atuwatse III, the Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom.
Net worth
Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, a Nigerian private equity investor and entrepreneur, is believed to have a net worth in the $10 million to $20 million range.
Awards and recognition
Her work has been acknowledged by several industry and leadership awards recognizing her role as a female fund manager and impact investor. She is frequently cited as a leading voice in conversations about increasing investment into women-led businesses in Africa.
