Meet Charles

Meet Ani Charles Bassey-Eyo

I am Ani Charles Bassey-Eyo. I believe everyone has a unique idea to add to life’s journey and therefore the key thing for me is finding that spark in people and then connecting those sparks to light up our families, our communities, and eventually create a blazing fire fuelled with dreams and visions turned realities across our diverse national economies.

I am a people oriented person and I believe humans get the job done and not robots. We therefore need to be thoroughly inclusive as people first of all need to understand the vision and direction of where they are going before they can bring something relevant to the table.

I am a multiple investor and entrepreneur because I am an idea person and I like working on ideas and making them happen. One of my biggest strengths is to take ideas and make them real and visible. I believe in the creative power, the power of creativity and that helps an idea become reality. But we cannot do it alone, so we must continuously collaborate.

Together as collaborators we can create and make changes that leave a big and sustainable impact on the society, which will take us from one point to another.
I am always looking for different types of collaborators either to intern, to be a mentor/mentee, a co-investor or a co-founder, feel free to Contact Me if you feel that is something you ever want to work on. It could be to make a change i.e. Not-for-profit or it could also be something that creates economic value.

ACB Biography

Early life & Education

I attended Kings College, Lagos and later on attended the University of Hull in the United Kingdom where I graduated with a BSc degree in Accounting and Finance in 1999. I also attended The Centre for Commercial Law Studies in Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London for my postgraduate studies in International Tax Law in 2004.

I am a Chartered Accountant and Corporate Treasurer. I am also a member of the following: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)/Fellow status (FCCA,2008), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chartered Institute of Taxation, Nigeria (CITN) and also an Associate Member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers, United Kingdom (ACT).

Professional Career

After my studies, I began my career at Cordiant Communications Group, an advertising company, as a Treasury Assistant within the corporate treasury department, where I was assigned to the implementation and review of systems for the Y2K computer switch-over.

I later joined Pegasus Solutions, a NASDAQ-quoted technology solution provider for the travel industry, in 2000 within corporate treasury. There, I was responsible for cash flow reporting and the implementation of software and e-banking policies and structures to improve working capital. I was then headhunted into high-end luxury retail as Treasury Manager for Polo Ralph Lauren Group, UK, and later became Group Treasury Manager for Polo Ralph Lauren, Europe, where I played a key role in establishing the Group’s first Shared Services Centre in Geneva, Switzerland.

I was also part of a team that introduced structured foreign exchange hedging for all European entities at a time of fast-changing regulatory frameworks, including Sarbanes-Oxley and FAS 133. I mentored and built strong finance teams and instituted best practices within corporate treasury operations.

Later, I transitioned into oil services as a Senior Consultant, working as a working capital expert with Stolt Offshore (later Acergy Group). I was subsequently headhunted into banking as a technical and regulatory expert, where I was directly involved in the IFRS implementation at both Barclays Bank Group and the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

In 2003, while still at Barclays, I was instrumental in implementing one of the first Pan-European cash liquidity systems across several European countries. I also project-managed and led a large portfolio of initiatives ranging from capital adequacy to regulatory reforms, driving projects worth millions of dollars across banking, insurance, reinsurance, bancassurance, investment, and retail divisions. In this strategic role, I supported group executives in navigating the rapidly evolving European regulatory environment of the 2000s.

In 2009, I transitioned fully into entrepreneurship, founding and leading businesses across multiple sectors, including consulting, agri-foods, travel, merchandising, technology, and social impact initiatives under the LANI Group. My work has focused on creating value-driven enterprises, mentoring teams, and enabling inclusive economic growth in Africa.

Most recently, I was appointed as the Trade Representative of Uganda to Nigeria and Ghana, a role in which I am actively building strategic trade and investment linkages, promoting intra-African trade, and fostering partnerships that advance the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agenda.

In March 2025, I also joined the Board of RSNL (the owners for Shoprite), where I serve on the Board Governance Committee as a member and chair the Audit and Risk Committee, bringing my depth of experience in oversight, compliance, and fiduciary responsibility.

In addition, I was formally inducted into the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria, a pivotal professional body dedicated to strengthening corporate governance and providing a platform for directors and governance stakeholders to shape best practices across both the public and private sectors.

Business Interests

As an entrepreneur, I serve as CEO of LANI Group, an investment holding company with interests across diverse sectors, including learning and development, agro-processing, professional services, tax management, and financial training.

I have co-founded several notable entities, such as Axiom Learning Solutions in education and Sehai Foods in agriculture, while also serving on the boards of multiple organizations. My passion lies in identifying practical solutions within the real sector, where I create value through collaboration, mentoring, and innovation.

Through idea validation, I transform concepts into sustainable business enterprises. My cross-sectoral exposure enables me to co-found and partner in industries ranging from agriculture and education to fashion, executive training, professional services, retail, and technology. This entrepreneurial drive is anchored by a solid operational background in corporate treasury, change management, transformation, and project leadership within international tier-one finance environments.

Personal Life

I am married with children. I love reading and writing and have continued to pursue interests in arts and literature. I have a keen interest in the business of fashion, an interest I developed from my time working in Polo Ralph Lauren. I have mentored and continue to mentor entrepreneurs and business leaders and I am an advocate for sustainable change through enterprise.

Philanthropy

My love for humanity motivates me to constantly pursue endeavours that brings about social benefit and change. My focus on supporting and improving the quality of life of vulnerable people groups such as children, women and persons with disabilities lead me to found the LANI FOUNDATION in 2012 [Website: www.lanifoundation.org]