The Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Obiora, has taken over as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM).
He replaces Joseph Nnanna, who was a former Deputy Governor of CBN and retired from the Board of NEXIM in February 2020.
This was disclosed in a statement to the general public and signed by the Head, Strategy & Corporate Communications of NEXIM Bank, Tayo Omidiji, on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. The statement says:
“With this appointment, Obiora will provide leadership to a multidisciplinary team of professionals that constitute the board of the bank, towards ensuring that the bank achieves its mandate of promoting economic diversification and development of the Nigerian non-oil export sector.”
The statement also adds that Obiora will bring to bear on NEXIM Bank, his wealth of experience as a seasoned economist and technocrat, having joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through the globally-competitive ‘Economist Program’ in 2007 and worked in both the European Department as well as the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department of the Fund.
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Dr. Kingsley Obiora, who was nominated as CBN Deputy Governor, in January 16, 2020, and resumed duty on March 2, 2020, served as special assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan’s Chief Economic Adviser from October 2011 to May 2014. He was also the Special Adviser on Economic Matters to the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, from June 2014 to July 2018.
He has his first degree in Economics from the University of Benin, and also Masters and Doctorate degrees in Economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
The statement from NEXIM adds that its Managing Director/Chief Executive, Abba Bello, welcomes Obiora, on behalf of the board and management of the bank, and wishes him a successful tenure in office.
NEXIM Bank is an export credit financial institution that was established by the Federal Government in 1991 to replace the Nigerian Export Credit Guarantee and Insurance Corporation. It provides export credit guarantees and export credit insurance for exports of Nigerian commodities and services within and outside West Africa.