About The Firm

Built for the transactions
that define businesses.

An independent transaction advisory firm focused on Nigeria's mid-market, built on the traditional merchant banking model of combining advisory expertise with selective principal investing.

Who We Are

Sawyerr & Co. is an independent transaction advisory firm focused on Nigeria's mid-market, built on the traditional merchant banking model of combining advisory expertise with selective principal participation.

We serve both sides of the table. We work with founders who want to grow, raise capital, or exit on their terms. And we work with investors — private individuals, family offices, and institutions — seeking to deploy capital intelligently into Nigerian businesses and real economy opportunities.

We are not a commercial bank. We are not a generic financial consultancy. We are a transaction advisory firm in the truest sense — technically sharp, deal-focused, and deeply invested in the outcomes of every engagement we take on.

"We have no capital to deploy on behalf of clients, no loans to offer, and no financial interests competing with yours. That independence is the foundation of everything we do."
Independence
No bank affiliations. No proprietary funds. No conflicts of interest. Our counsel is guided entirely by what is right for each client and each transaction.
Partner-Led Execution
Every mandate is led by firm leadership from engagement through execution. Clients receive undivided, senior-level attention at every stage of every process.
Mid-Market Focus
We serve businesses with revenues between ₦100 million and ₦5 billion — the most underserved and most consequential segment of the Nigerian economy.
Dual Positioning
We advise both founders and investors. That dual positioning gives us an information and relationship advantage that single-sided advisors cannot replicate.
Long-Term Model
We are building a merchant banking platform for Nigeria's mid-market — combining advisory credibility with selective principal investing, sequentially and deliberately.
The Model

The merchant banking model.

Advisory credibility builds deal flow. Deal flow creates investment opportunities. Investment track record builds the capital-raising capability. Each engine fuels the next.

01
Transaction Advisory
Independent, conflict-free advisory on M&A, capital raises, valuations, and transaction readiness. The foundation of everything we build.
Advisory fees · Success fees
02
Principal Participation
Selective participation in investment opportunities in sectors where we have advisory expertise and strong commercial insight. Developing capability.
Capital returns · Deal returns
03
Private Capital
Connecting sophisticated investors to curated deal-by-deal co-investment opportunities. Transparent structure. No pooled fund. Long-term objective.
Deal fees · Carried interest
The Path Forward

How Sawyerr & Co. evolves.

Current
Advisory Foundation
2024 – 2025
Build advisory credibility. Close first mandates. Establish firm identity and positioning in the Nigerian mid-market. Every engagement is the foundation of what comes next.
Stage 2
Alternative Investments
2026
Execute first principal investments in commodity export. Document returns. Build co-investment relationships with sophisticated investors alongside the growing advisory franchise.
Stage 3
Private Capital Platform
2027 – 2028
Formalise co-investment structure. Launch commodity export brand. Begin managing third-party capital on a deal-by-deal basis. Advisory and investing operating as complementary engines.
Long-Term
Merchant Banking Platform
2028 and beyond
A fully integrated merchant banking platform combining advisory expertise, principal investing, and capital management. The Chapel Hill Denham of the Nigerian mid-market.
The Model We Are Building

The world's most respected independent firms are built this way.

Rothschild & Co.
Global advisory firm with Five Arrows alternative investment arm managing over €30 billion. Advisory credibility built the deal flow. Deal flow built the investment business. One brand. Two engines.
Lazard
Independent advisory firm that expanded into asset management over decades. Today manages over $200 billion alongside its advisory franchise. The same sequential model — advisory first, investing second.
Chapel Hill Denham
Nigeria's leading independent advisory firm with a separate SEC-licensed asset management entity under the same brand. The Nigerian reference point for how the model works in this market.
Sawyerr & Co.
Building the same model for Nigeria's mid-market. Transaction Advisory today. Alternative Investments as the developing second pillar. One brand. One firm. Built deliberately, stage by stage.
Leadership

Principal-led, always.

E.S. Sawyerr
Founder & Managing Partner

E.S. Sawyerr founded Sawyerr & Co. on a single observation: the Nigerian mid-market is full of consequential transactions happening without credible, independent advisory support. Business owners are making decisions about growth, investment, and exit with no trusted advisor in their corner.

Sawyerr & Co. was built to close that gap. Every engagement is partner-led. Every client works directly with firm leadership from the first conversation through to closing.