Japaul Gold & Ventures Plc has announced the appointment of Abubakar Lawal as a Non-Executive Director, effective February 10, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen its corporate governance framework and reposition the company for growth in the mining and natural resources sector.
The company disclosed that the board appointment marks a significant step in its strategic evolution, particularly as it seeks to leverage emerging opportunities in gold exploration, mining innovation, and sustainable resource development across Africa.
Lawal is the Co-founder and Group Managing Director of GTI Group, an investment banking and advisory firm with expertise spanning public sector advisory, corporate restructuring, and financial services.
He is credited with pioneering the establishment of Nigeria’s first private trading floor, a milestone within the country’s capital market landscape and the broader Sub-Saharan African region.
With over three decades of experience in Nigeria’s financial services sector, Lawal has played a central role in several high-profile corporate restructuring and recapitalization transactions involving publicly listed companies. These include engagements with International Breweries Plc, Eterna Plc, Wema Bank Plc, and Morison Industries Plc, among others.
He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School and brings to the board a finance-focused perspective shaped by both international exposure and domestic market experience.
His appointment is expected to enhance the company’s strategic decision-making capacity, particularly in capital structuring, investor relations, and long-term value creation.
Japaul Gold & Ventures stated that the onboarding of Lawal aligns with its renewed focus on strengthening governance standards and building a leadership structure capable of supporting expansion within the mining value chain.
The company has recently intensified its positioning within Nigeria’s solid minerals sector amid growing policy attention on mineral resource diversification.
The appointment comes at a time when mining and resource development are receiving increased policy backing as part of broader economic diversification efforts.
Enhanced board expertise in finance and restructuring could support the company’s ambitions in project financing, partnership structuring, and operational optimization.
Management expressed confidence that the addition of Lawal to the board will contribute to improved oversight, strategic clarity, and disciplined execution as the company enters its next phase of growth.
Japaul Gold & Ventures Plc maintains its corporate head office in Ikeja, Lagos, and continues to focus on delivering shareholder value through responsible resource development and strategic corporate alignment.
