General News
Otudeko Emerges FirstBank Chairman
A change of baton has taken place in Nigeria’s premier financial institution, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, as Dr. Oba Otudeko, an erstwhile non-executive director, was elected on Tuesday by the bank’s Board of Directors to take over from Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Mutallab as chairman.
Otudeko’s appointment, which is still subject to formal approval by the regulatory bodies, comes in the wake of Alhaji Mutallab’s retirement from the Board after a 13-year stint, the last 10 of which he served as chairman. The latter was appointed director on March 8, 1996 and became chairman of the Board on March 18, 1999.
The appointment of Dr. Oba Otudeko is in sync with FirstBank’s strong corporate governance credentials and best practice, ensuring that there is seamless business continuity and stability amongst all stakeholders. This corporate governance posture has won the Bank much respect and recognition both locally and internationally.
Alhaji Mutallab is retiring at the peak of an outstanding career, which witnessed a plethora of laudable achievements – a record-making and highly successful hybrid offer, the growth of the FirstBank group to nine local subsidiaries, a full-fledged bank in the United Kingdom (FBN Bank (UK) Limited), a branch in Paris through FBN Bank (UK), as well as representative offices in South Africa and China.
The incoming chairman, Dr. Otudeko, a seasoned banker and administrator, was appointed to the Board of FirstBank on May 18, 1997, where he served in various capacities. A foremost investor and major shareholder in many publicly-quoted companies, he was until recently the President of The Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), elected the 16th President of the NSE in September 2006. His tenure witnessed unprecedented growth in the market, wherein the NSE All-Share Index hit an historical high in May 2008. Despite subsequent market convulsions caused by global economic turbulence, Dr. Otudeko handed over a more liberalised, revitalised and cohesive Stock Exchange to the new Council in August, 2009.
Oba, as he is fondly called, is a highly respected and personable executive who has established a reputation for solid performance and sound judgment in all the disciplines. In recognition of his many contributions to the economic and social development of Nigeria, he has variously been conferred with many awards and honours. Among these are: Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2000 from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which was upgraded to the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 2003; Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye; the ZIK Foundation for Leadership Award; Sardauna Magazine National Excellence and Leadership Lifetime Achiever Award; Nigerian Investment Promotion Achiever of the Year Award; the Paul Harris Fellow Award of Rotary International; Honorary Citizen of Dallas Texas, USA; and recently, Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the ThisDay Awards 2009, amongst other awards.
Beyond his entrepreneurial track, Dr. Otudeko is also a public-spirited leader. At various times, he has been entrusted with high profile national and international assignments. He was Chairman of the National Maritime Authority; Director, Central Bank of Nigeria (1990 – 1997); Council member, West African Bankers’ Association; Member, Nigerian Banks Employers’ Association; Member, Constituent Assembly responsible for drafting a new Constitution, 1988 to 1989, Council member, Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria; Co-Chairman, Committee on Investment Climate, Nigerian Economic Summit Group; and currently a member of the Nigeria/South Africa Bi-National Commission. Outside Nigeria, he was appointed the Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Liberia to the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 2003 and 2005. Presently, he is the Chancellor, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye in Nigeria.
A diligent and prolific boardroom player, Otudeko is Chairman of the Boards of Honeywell Group Limited, FBN Bank (UK) Limited, First Trustees Nigeria Limited, Fan Milk of Nigeria Plc., and the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce. He was the founding Chairman of Econet Wireless Nigeria Limited and remains a Director of Zain Nigeria Limited, the successor company. Furthermore, he is a Director of First Bank of Nigeria Plc., Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Khalil & Dibbo (Haulage) Limited, and Lagos Sheraton Hotel. He was formerly a director of Guinness Nigeria Plc, British-American Tobacco Company Limited, and Franco-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce.
He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, UK; Fellow of the Institute of Chartered and Corporate Accountants, UK; Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Nigeria and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria.
Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo has commended the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for expanding access to technology-driven skills with the inauguration of a Skills Acquisition Centre in Owerri.
L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi; First Lady of Imo State, Barr. Chioma Uzodimma; Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma; EVC/CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu and other dignitaries during the commissioning of the NASENI Skills Acquisition Centre in Owerri North LGA, Imo State yesterday.
The governor described the initiative as a strategic investment in youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and economic development.
The centre, established under the NASENI Sustainable Empowerment Programme (NSEP) in partnership with the Senator representing Imo East Senatorial District, Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, is designed to equip young Nigerians with practical and industry-relevant skills.
Speaking at the inauguration, Uzodimma said technology remained central to Nigeria’s economic growth and lauded NASENI for supporting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through initiatives that empower citizens.
He said the project would provide young people with practical skills needed to build sustainable livelihoods.
“This is not about giving people fish; it is about teaching them how to fish,” the governor said.
Uzodimma urged that beneficiaries of the programme be supported with start-up capital to enable them establish businesses and create employment opportunities for others.
He also commended NASENI for its continued developmental interventions in Imo and called on the host community and relevant stakeholders to protect the facility.
Responding, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu, described the centre as another demonstration of the agency’s commitment to developing the human capital required to drive Nigeria’s industrialisation.
According to Halilu, the centre reflects NASENI’s conviction that industrial development begins with investing in people and equipping them with practical skills.
“The commissioning of this centre is not merely the opening of another facility. It is the opening of opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire practical skills that solve real problems, create businesses and generate employment.
“At NASENI, we believe our greatest investment is in the talent of our people,” he said.
Halilu said the centre would offer training in high-demand areas, including solar installation and maintenance, graphic design and printing, phone repair, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as other vocational and technology-based disciplines.
He explained that the project aligned with NASENI’s strategic focus on creation, collaboration and commercialisation, aimed at strengthening innovation, expanding local capacity and reducing dependence on imported technologies.
The NASENI boss commended Onyewuchi for partnering with the agency to deliver the project.
Onyewuchi said the centre was established to address youth unemployment through skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
He disclosed that beneficiaries would receive support to establish small businesses after completing their training, enabling them to become employers of labour.
The lawmaker said the initiative would contribute to economic growth by empowering young Nigerians with skills relevant to today’s economy.
The commissioning of the centre, according to NASENI, reinforces the agency’s commitment to equipping Nigerians with practical skills, fostering innovation and building the workforce required for Nigeria’s industrial and economic development.
Federal government has launched Credit for Laptops, Internet, Connectivity and Knowledge Digital Devices (C.L.I.C.K.D.), a new consumer credit initiative, to provide affordable financing for locally assembled laptops and other digital devices.
L-R: Mr Uzoma Nwagba, managing director and chief executive officer, CREDICORP, and Dr Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, at the launch
The initiative by the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, is aimed at equipping Nigerians with the tools needed to participate in the country’s growing digital economy.
During the launch, Dr Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, described access to credit as critical to improving productivity and driving economic growth.
Dr Tijani said no nation could achieve sustainable development without a strong credit system that enables individuals and businesses to access resources needed to become more productive.
He noted that in today’s digital age, technology has become indispensable for education, innovation and wealth creation.
The minister explained that many talented young Nigerians possess the skills required to succeed in the digital economy but remain constrained by their inability to own computers and other digital tools.
Drawing from his personal experience, Dr Tijani recalled how his first laptop as a student in the university opened doors to international opportunities and eventually inspired him to establish one of Nigeria’s pioneering technology hubs.
He said the new programme would ensure that more young Nigerians are not denied similar opportunities because of financial barriers.
According to him, the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by expanding access to technology, boosting productivity and supporting local manufacturing.
Mr Uzoma Nwagba, managing director and chief executive officer, CREDICORP, described the programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future workforce and digital transformation.
Mr Nwagba said that while improvements in internet connectivity and digital skills training have positioned Nigeria for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, access to devices remains a major challenge preventing many young people from fully participating in the digital economy.
He explained that C.L.I.C.K.D. would bridge that gap by providing affordable consumer credit that enables beneficiaries to acquire laptops and other internet-enabled devices while they develop in-demand digital skills
Federal Government has announced the disbursement of about N333 billion to eight electricity generation companies (GenCos) as part of measures to resolve outstanding debts in the power sector.
The government also disclosed the issuance of a second bond valued at N729 billion to settle verified legacy obligations and improve liquidity within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
The disclosures were made on Tuesday at an investors’ forum organised by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc in Abuja.
Government representatives said the latest bond issuance marked the completion of the initial phase of the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme, which was designed to address verified liabilities and attract private sector investment across the electricity value chain.
The Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, said the implementation of the first series of the programme demonstrated the administration’s commitment to meeting its financial obligations and improving investor confidence.
Verheijen disclosed that the Federal Government in February 2026 allocated about N501 billion under the first tranche of the programme, comprising N300 billion in cash and N201 billion in non-cash bond instruments to offset verified debts owed to power producers.
She said N333 billion had so far been disbursed to eight participating GenCos operating 17 power plants.
According to her, the government also paid the first coupon of about N63.5 billion on the seven-year bond in full on July 14, 2026.
She explained that the payments had enabled generation companies to meet critical obligations to gas suppliers, lenders and operations and maintenance contractors, thereby improving their operational capacity.
“Markets do not reward promises; they reward performance. Capital follows credibility,” Verheijen said.
She added that the second bond series would further strengthen liquidity in the electricity market and create a more stable financial environment capable of attracting long-term private investment.
The Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme is part of broader Federal Government efforts to address challenges affecting electricity generation, distribution and investment in Nigeria’s power sector.
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