The Senate today confirmed Godwin Emefiele as the new governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Senate President David Mark during his confirmation observed that Emefiele is a distinguished Nigerian who will bring his many years of banking to bear in the running of the apex bank.

He said the Senate drilled him with questions concerning the smooth running of the bank which he convincingly did justice to.

Emefiele’s name was forwarded to the Senate for confirmation by President Goodluck Jonathan after the suspension of the former governor of the CBN, Lamido Sanusi Lamido.

He is expected to resume duties as the substantive governor of the bank in place of Sanusi whose tenure lapses in June 2014.

Emefiele is the group managing director, Zenith Bank Plc, a position he has held since August 2010.

Until then he was the deputy managing director of the bank, having been appointed into that position in 2001.

The new CBN governor has been on Zenith bank’s management team since inception and has held various management positions in the bank, including serving as the  executive director in charge of corporate banking, treasury, financial control and strategic planning.