Thursday’s announcement of Aishah Ahmad, as a nominee for the post of Deputy Governor in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been described by many Nigerians as a welcome development.
The 40-year old Ahmad (she will be 41 on October 26), once approved by the Senate, is expected to assume her new responsibilities with a rich resume and experience.
President Muhammadu Buhari also asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of four others into the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBN in accordance to relevant sections of the CBN Act.
They are: Adeola Adenikinju; Aliyu Sanusi; Robert Asogwa and Asheikh Maidugu.
The MPC is the highest policy making committee of the CBN and its mandate is to review economic and financial conditions in the economy and to determine appropriate stance of policy in the short to medium term, among others.
So here are the profile of each of the newly appointed members of the CBN’s MPC.
AISHA AHMAD
Ahmad is currently the Executive Director (retail banking) at Diamond Bank Plc. A consummate professional with about 20 years of banking experience in international and local financial insititutions.
She is also the chairperson of the executive council of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), a non-profit organisation founded in 2001 which key focus is to improve the capacity of women to aspire to leadership positions in the workplace and in business.
Ahmad, from Niger State, North-Central Nigeria, replaces Sarah Alade, former CBN Deputy Governor, who retired in March this year.
She will resume at her new post immediately after Senate’s confirmation.
ADEOLA ADENIKINJU
Adenikinju is a Professor of Economics in the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. His research interests include Petroleum and Energy Economics, Macroeconomic modeling, and Economic Development Issues.
He has consulted for many international and local organizations including the European Union, United Nations, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG), The African Economic Research Consortium, ECOWAS, the World Bank, and the National Data Bank, among others.
Adenikinju was one of the Consultants that prepared the First Perspective Plan for Nigeria. He is also involved in the United Nations Project Link that makes economic projection for the Nigerian Economy.
He was a Senior Special Assistant to the President, Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President between 2010 and 2011.
ALIYU SANUSI
Aliyu Rafindadi Sanusi is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State. He also holds a Masters Degree in International Business from Lancaster University Management School, where he also obtained his PhD in Economics.
Sanusi was a former Special Assistant to the Chief Economic Adviser to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has also served in a number of Federal Government Committees.
He has consulted for a number of Local and International Organisations, including Heinrich Boll Foundation, Adam Smith International (ASI) as well as Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF) which is sponsored by the UK Department for International Development (DFID)
Sanusi’s area of research interest is applied econometrics with applications to monetary economics, international economics and macroeconomics.
ROBERT ASOGWA
Robert Asogwa holds a doctorate degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. His area of specialty is macro economics.
Asogwa is currently a consultant with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
ASHEIKH MAIDUGU
Asheikh Maidugu is currently a Director at the Federal Inland Revenue Services. He obtained his Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
He also holds a Masters Degree in Money, Trade and Finance from the same University and a Ph.D holder in Development Economics and International Development from Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto.
Maidugu was a senior lecturer at the University of Maiduguri between 1994 and 2007 before proceeding to the Debt Management Office in Abuja where he served as the Chief Operations Officer.
In 2010, he moved to the FIRS and was in charge of coordinating the development of the Corporate Plan of the Service, as well as monitoring the implementation of the annual plan.