Unwana Uforo Okoro-Nwanja: Driving Agile Transformation and Engineering Excellence in Nigeria’s Banking Sector
As financial institutions accelerate digital transformation and modernise their technology stacks, the need for strong product ownership and engineering leadership has never been more critical. In Nigeria’s highly competitive banking industry, one professional stand out for successfully bridging software engineering depth with strategic product leadership: Unwana Uforo Okoro-Nwanja, Senior Software Engineer and Chief Product Owner at Guaranty Trust
With over a decade of experience in banking technology, Unwana has played a central role in enterprise system redesign, API transformation, Agile adoption, and high-scale transaction infrastructure—contributing directly to operational efficiency and platform scalability.
Recent developments within Guaranty Trust’s technology division reflect a strong transition from traditional waterfall methodologies to Agile frameworks. At the forefront of this transformation is Unwana, who currently serves as Chief Product Owner, overseeing backlog prioritisation, Scrum governance, and release management transformation across multiple teams
Her leadership within the Transformation Office has led to measurable improvements, including a 50% increase in product and release management efficiency, while coordinating seven Product Owners and multiple Scrum teams across the organisation
Unwana Uforo Okoro-Nwanja is an experienced Senior Software Engineer and Product Leader with strong expertise in:
- .NET Framework & C#
- RESTful APIs & Microservices Architecture
- SQL Server Databases
- Agile Product Ownership
- Enterprise Banking Systems
She holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Software Engineering from the University of Liverpool and combines technical precision with structured product governance to drive large-scale enterprise delivery
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
| Organisation | Role / Position | Duration | Key Responsibilities & Achievements |
| Guaranty Trust | Chief Product Owner | May 2022 – Present | Member of the Transformation Office overseeing transition from Waterfall to Agile. Owns and prioritises product backlog for transformation initiatives. Coordinates release management documentation and compliance processes. Drafted organisation-wide Definition of Done template. Increased release efficiency by 50%. Coaches and mentors seven Product Owners. |
| Guaranty Trust | Development Team Lead | Apr 2019 – Present | Leads a team of 27 engineers across front-end, back-end, and integration projects for 70+ internal and external applications. Maintains 80% on-time delivery rate. Oversees code reviews, performance metrics, and project milestone tracking. |
| Guaranty Trust | Assistant Team Lead, Software Development | Aug 2017 – Apr 2019 | Supervised migration from SOAP services to RESTful APIs across GTWorld, Ibank, and Habari platforms. Led NIBSS Instant Payments integration handling 1.4M+ daily transactions. Developed middleware APIs for SAP SuccessFactors integration. |
| Guaranty Trust | Software Developer | Jun 2014 – Apr 2019 | Designed and maintained WCF WebServices supporting CRM systems handling 10,000+ customer calls daily. Developed web and desktop banking applications. Provided second-level support for e-banking solutions. |
| Guaranty Trust | Funds Transfer Officer | Aug 2011 – May 2014 | Processed FX outflows, SWIFT inflow transactions, and issued Certificates of Capital Importation (CCI) in compliance with CBN regulations. |
| Appzone Group | Software Developer | Mar 2009 – May 2011 | Developed enterprise banking solutions within Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem. |
| Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) | Account Officer | 2008 – 2009 | Supported tax administration and financial compliance processes. |
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS
- Master’s Degree, Computer Software Engineering – University of Liverpool (2015–2018)
- Bachelor’s Degree, Computer Science – Ebonyi State University (2004–2009)
- ITIL® Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management
- Professional Scrum Product Owner I
LEADERSHIP & TECHNICAL IMPACT
Throughout her tenure at Guaranty Trust, Unwana has contributed to:
- Migration of enterprise services to RESTful microservices architecture
- Integration of national payment systems handling millions of daily transactions
- Agile coaching and onboarding for new Product Owners
- Performance metric standardisation across development teams
- Continuous improvement initiatives improving operational delivery timelines
Her ability to balance engineering execution with strategic product governance positions her as a key driver of enterprise transformation in Nigeria’s banking sector.
In a financial landscape defined by speed, security, and scalability, leaders who understand both technology architecture and product strategy are indispensable. Unwana Uforo Okoro-Nwanja represents this rare combination—an engineering professional who has evolved into a transformational product leader.
As Nigerian banks continue their digital evolution, her contributions to Agile adoption, system integration, and enterprise engineering excellence remain central to building resilient and future-ready financial platforms.
Connect with Unwana Uforo Okoro-Nwanja
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/unwanaokoronwanja
