In 1988, she joined Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB), an organization that metamorphosed into Bank of Industry (BOI), as a level entry Investment Financial Analyst. She had an early career start in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Directorate of the bank working in Kaduna, Lagos and Bauchi branches from 1988 to 2004.

Leveraging on the experiences of managing SME projects, she became the pioneer staff of the SME Coordination Desk with responsibilities of reviewing all SME credit papers for the consideration of the Management Executive Committee and effective coordination of the activities of all the bank’s branches.

She served as the Head of Gender Desk between 2008 and 2010; a unique relationship for women-owned businesses wherein the Memorandum of Understanding between Bank of Industry and Federal Ministry of Women Affairs on Business Development for Women Funds was operationalized towards promoting and expanding women-owned businesses across the nation.

In 2010, she was elevated to the level of North East Zonal Manager, a position she held for three years as a Senior Manager. She also served as the Chief Risk Officer of the bank from 2011to 2013.

Thereafter, in 2013, she assumed the position of Head; Chemical Division, her outstanding performance of creating huge and quality Risk Assets towards achieving WHO Certifications and General Good Management Practices for many pharmaceutical companies. The division birthed Oil & Gas and Health & Pharmaceutical Groups for deeper penetration into the core sectors.

Lolo Ruth Kadafa served as Head of Agro Processing Group, through whose efforts the group was taken to an enviable position which resulted in the splitting of the Group into Food Processing Group and Agro Processing Group.

As part of the national assignments, Lolo Ruth Kadafa efficiently and professionally managed many intervention funds on behalf of the BOI, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Central Bank of Nigeria and Sugar Development Council.

Prior to her appointment as the Managing Director/CEO of LECON Financial Services Limited, she was the Divisional Head II at the Bank of Industry (Large Enterprises Directorate) with five distinct Groups comprising Food Processing, Engineering and Technology, Health and Pharmaceutical, Agro Processing and Renewable Energy under her supervision.

With over 31 years of cognate experience in Development Banking, Lolo Kadafa received training from the World Bank, UNIDO, Galilee Institute in Israel, ILO Training College, and many international and local agencies. She has also attended several workshops and seminars in Agriculture and Commodity Value Chains, Renewable Energy, Leadership and People Management, Financial Analysis, among others.