Zeal Akaraiwe

Zeal Akaraiwe is a seasoned financial markets expert with over 25 years of experience across Nigeria, the UK, and Zambia. He is the Founder and CEO of Graeme Blaque Advisory, a boutique financial consultancy specializing in risk management through derivatives and regulatory advisory. Prior to this, he held senior roles at Standard Chartered, where he led pioneering financial market transactions across Africa, including several “firsts” in derivative structuring and market regulation.

Zeal has contributed significantly to the development of Nigeria’s financial markets, including input into the Central Bank of Nigeria’s 2011 Derivative Manual. He is a respected voice in the industry, serving on several regulatory and professional bodies such as the Derivatives Advisory Group of FMDQ OTC and the Securities & Exchange Commission ISDA Workgroup.

Beyond finance, he is the founder of The Angel Project, a social impact initiative focused on prison decongestion and medical debt relief. Zeal holds a BSc in Actuarial Science from the University of Lagos and has completed advanced studies at institutions including the London School of Economics, Cambridge, and Oxford.