President Bola Tinubu has put forward the names of four deputy governors for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), accompanying Olayemi Cardoso, who is his nominee for the role of CBN governor.
The nominees for the position of deputy governors are Emem Nnana Usoro, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor, and Bala M. Bello.
Emem Nnana Usoro boasts a two-decade-long banking career, encompassing retail and commercial banking, customer service, and corporate banking.
She is presently an executive director at United Bank for Africa (UBA), a position she attained after joining the bank in 2010 as a regional bank head.
Prior to her time at UBA, she held significant roles at the now-defunct Bank PHB Plc and Platinum Bank.
Her educational background includes management-related certificates from Harvard Business School, the University of Pretoria, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Uyo and Obafemi Awolowo University, respectively.
Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo contributes a unique perspective to the CBN, having previously served as a policy adviser at the executive office of Ban Ki-Moon, the former United Nations secretary-general.
Before that, he worked as an economic adviser to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and held the position of budget and planning commissioner in the Kaduna state government under Nasir el-Rufai.
His private sector experience spans various roles, including at Balera Micro-Finance Bank, Athal Consulting, Ecobank Nigeria, and the Dunning Africa Center.
His educational background includes degrees from Ahmadu Bello University and a public finance certificate from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Philip Ikeazor, with a solid 30-year track record in the financial sector, brings extensive experience to the CBN.
His career includes roles as the chief executive of Keystone Bank Limited in Nigeria and Ecobank Kenya, as well as executive director positions at Union Bank Nigeria and director of Union Bank UK Plc.
Later in his career, he joined the governing board of the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India.
Ikeazor holds certificates from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and is a fellow at the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
Bala M. Bello, another nominee, has amassed over 20 years of experience in the private sector after starting his banking career at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank).
His career journey included stints at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Sigma Pensions Ltd, Marine Capital Limited, and Apricot Investments Limited.
His educational background features a bachelor of science (BSc) degree in accounting from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and an MBA.
He has also enhanced his expertise through programs at prestigious institutions like Harvard Business School, the Wharton Business School, Richard Ivey School of Business, and the Portfolio Management Academy.