Meet CBN’s Newly Appointed Deputy Governors

Olayemi Cardoso has been appointed as Nigeria’s new CBN governor alongside four new deputies: Nnana Usoro, Muhammad Abdullahi Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor, and Bala M. Bello.

President Bola Tinubu on Friday approved the nomination of four new Deputy Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria pending confirmation by the Senate for a term of five years at the first instance.

They are expected, when confirmed, to work with the newly appointed head of the Apex Bank, Yemi Cardoso.

The PUNCH highlights the profiles of the new CBN deputy governors.

1. Mrs. Emem Nnan Usoro

An alumna of Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School, Usoro’s banking career spans over 20 years with experience in Operations, Credit and Marketing, Branch Management, Relationship Management, Corporate and Commercial Banking.

Emem was the Group General Manager and the Strategic Business Group (SBG) Head, in Abuja. She was also the Regional Head, Lagos Bank 2. She has won multiple awards at the annual UBA CEO Awards.

2. Mr. Philip Ikeazor

Philip Ikeazor has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry.

He holds a BSc. Economics from the University of Buckingham UK. Also an Alumnus of Wharton-CEIBS-IESE Business School Global CEO Programme and attended executive programmes at Harvard Business School and Wharton School of Business.

He has held various board positions notably as the CEO of Keystone Bank Limited, CEO of Ecobank Kenya Limited, Executive Director, Union Bank Nigeria, Director of Union Bank UK PLC, and Director of the Orient Bank Uganda. Philip also served as a member of the governing board of ICRISAT –International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, India (a member of the World Bank-led Consultative Group on International Agric. Research).

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Fellow Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.

3. Dr. Bala Bello

A native of Taraba State, Dr. Bala Mohammed Bello is an industry leader, whose career has spanned Banking, Capital Markets, and Pension Fund Management:

Bello is a well-respected public official and a renowned accountant. In April 2017, Bello was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari as the Executive Director of Corporate Services at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank.

Bello has an excellent performance record brimming with excellence. He is well known for surpassing his competition to achieve the greatest level of success in his field.

4. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi

Abdullahi is an international development expert who served as a policy adviser at the Executive Office of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in New York and also as Commissioner for Budget and Planning in Kaduna State.

He obtained his Master’s degree in Development Economics and Policy from the University of Manchester and obtained a second Master’s from Ahmadu Bello University where he studied International Affairs and Diplomacy. He obtained certificates including in Public Finance at the London School of Economics; Sustainable Development at Columbia University and Advanced Project Management at Oxford University.