BABAJIDE OLUSOLA SANWO-OLU holds a B.Sc in Surveying and an MBA from the University of Lagos, He is an alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, the London Business School, and the Lagos Business School. Mr. Sanwo-Olu became an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) and a fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Training and Development (NITAD).

He was the treasurer at the former Lead Merchant Bank from 1994 to 1997 after which he moved to the United Bank for Africa as the head Of foreign money market, He then proceeded to First Inland Bank, Plc (now First City Monument Bank) as deputy general manager and divisional head.