Zarah Kaigama

Treasury and Finance professional with 7+ years of experience across multi-currency treasury operations, liquidity management, and financial planning & analysis. Skilled in directing FX transactions, banking relationship management, and cash flow optimization, with a track record of strengthening controls, ensuring IFRS and statutory compliance, and delivering measurable cost savings. Currently pursuing ACA and an MBA in Finance & Investment.

Finance & Treasury Officer - Olabel Mills Limited

(2026-02)

• Developed a five-year integrated financial model to support strategic planning and long-term business growth.
• Built product costing and profitability models for Flour, Grit, and Offals to improve pricing and operational decision-making.
• Prepared monthly management reports, executive summaries, and financial performance reviews for senior management.
• Monitored business performance and key financial indicators, providing recommendations to improve operational efficiency.
• Managed treasury activities including liquidity planning, cash flow forecasting, payment processing, and working capital management.
• Maintained banking relationships and ensured timely statutory remittances.
• Partnered with operations and commercial teams to improve reporting accuracy and support business performance initiatives.

Treasury Manager - AFEX

(2025-07 - 2026-01)

• Directed treasury operations across multi-currency accounts, overseeing liquidity forecasting, daily cash positioning, and foreign exchange transactions to ensure optimal cash utilization.
• Managed relationships with local and international banks, optimizing financing structures, reducing transaction costs, and ensuring timely funding of operations.
• Managed short-term investment placements and loan portfolios, including repayment tracking, interest monitoring, and reconciliation of financing obligations, supporting efficient capital allocation.
• Designed and implemented robust cash management frameworks and treasury dashboards, improving reporting accuracy, reducing liquidity risk, and enabling data-driven decision-making on funding, investments, and debt servicing.

Senior Finance Associate - AFEX

(2023-08 - 2025-06)

• Led financial reporting to donor partners, ensuring timely, accurate, and audit-ready submissions.
• Managed financial operations across Côte d'Ivoire and the Americas, aligning multi-country reporting under IFRS.
• Supported tracking of investment balances and loan schedules, ensuring accuracy in reporting and reconciliation.
• Assisted in analysing financing costs and investment performance to support treasury decisions.
• Led accounts payable globally, streamlining vendor management and strengthening compliance.
• Identified and resolved a ₦4bn inventory discrepancy, safeguarding audit trail integrity.
• Managed payroll processing for 400+ employees, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Implemented expense monitoring controls, achieving a 10% cost reduction.
• Assisted with developing in-house Budget and HR Management Systems, enhancing efficiency and transparency.

Senior Finance Analyst - AFEX

(2022-01 - 2023-07)

• Managed assets register and prepayments exceeding ₦50 billion, ensuring compliance with IFRS.
• Partnered with operations and finance teams to monitor investment performance and support capital allocation decisions.
• Contributed to financial models assessing funding needs, loan utilization, and repayment planning.
• Handled tax filings (PAYE, VAT, CIT, WHT, NHF), maintaining 100% compliance with zero penalties.
• Reconciled group accounts monthly, strengthening accuracy of financial reporting.
• Produced IFRS-compliant financial statements, ensuring audit readiness.
• Led partner grant reporting, ensuring compliance with donor requirements.

Finance Analyst - AFEX

(2019-11 - 2021-12)

• Conducted cash flow reporting and monitored investment data for financial planning.
• Prepared revenue and cost reports, enabling better business line performance tracking.
• Analysed large datasets to prepare farmer reports for investor due diligence.
• Ensured timely reconciliation of accounts across multiple departments.
• Successfully handled all statutory tax filings with 100% accuracy.

Finance Intern - AFEX

(2019-01 - 2019-10)

• Supported treasury functions by managing local and foreign bank accounts.
• Posted daily cash activities into SAP, improving accuracy of cash tracking.
• Assisted in payment processing, data entry, and transaction oversight.
• Developed the Finance Procedure Manual, which remains in use by the finance team.

Master of Business Administration - Finance and Investment - Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (2023)

Bachelor of Science - Accounting - Bingham University (2015 - 2018-09)