In a move that strengthens its senior leadership team and solidifies its business transformation strategy, 9mobile has appointed trusted Human Resources advisor, Dorothy Tunde-Ajala as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).

With over 20 years of HR experience, Dorothy is a seasoned leader known for her ability to drive business transformation through strategic HR initiatives. Her appointment underscores 9mobile’s commitment to fostering an inclusive culture and advancing its people’s vision in alignment with the company’s values and strategic goals.

Dorothy brings a wealth of experience from various sectors, including Telecoms, Energy, and Business Services. Prior to joining 9Mobile, she served as Chief Talent & Strategy Officer at Accelerate Leadership Ltd. and as an Associate Coach with Randstad RiseSmart, a global outplacement company; HR Director Anglophone West Africa, Schneider Electric; General Manager HR & Admin, Pan African International Group; Country Head, Human Resources, Siemens Nigeria; HR Manager/Business Partner, MTN Nigeria Communications,  and Head of People Management at Restral Consulting.

Throughout her career, Dorothy has established herself as a trusted advisor to business leaders, providing valuable HR insights to create high-performance cultures. She has led HR transformations, developed leadership pipelines, and implemented innovative HR strategies that have positively impacted organizational effectiveness.

“We are excited to welcome Dorothy to our leadership team,” said Obafemi Banigbe, CEO of 9mobile. “Her expertise will significantly enhance our commitment to excellence and employee engagement, crucial elements of our business transformation strategy.

“This strategic expansion of our leadership team began four months ago, with the appointment of a new CFO and CTIO. Together, we are poised to drive 9mobile’s growth and innovation, marking an exciting chapter in our journey.”

“We look forward to working with her as she drives our people-focused strategy forward. Her expertise will be crucial in achieving our key objectives, including, Enhancing Employee Engagement, well-being initiatives, professional development, performance management, and talent attraction and retention.  Dorothy’s expertise will undoubtedly empower our team to reach new heights, driving business success and sustainable growth.”

“I am excited to join 9mobile at this transformative moment in the company’s journey,” Dorothy said. “With a strong foundation already established, we are well-positioned for sustained growth and innovation.

“My focus will be on nurturing our most critical asset—our people—by aligning talent development with our strategic objectives, fostering a culture of collaboration, and maximizing our team’s potential. This is an inspiring time to be part of 9mobile, and I am confident in our collective ability to achieve great things for both our people and the business.”

Dorothy holds a B.Sc. in Sociology from the University of Lagos and is a Global Professional in Human Resources. She is also a Certified John Maxwell Trainer, Speaker and Coach; a Certified Behavioural Analysis (DISC) Trainer, and a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Nigeria. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors (IOD), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and an Associate of Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD)).

As Chief Human Resources Officer, Dorothy will report directly to the CEO and play a pivotal role in aligning human capital strategies with the organization’s broader strategic goals.

Drawing on her deep expertise, she will focus on driving leadership development, enhancing organizational effectiveness, and fostering a culture of high performance that supports 9mobile’s long-term vision and growth objectives.

Federal government has withdrawn the money laundering charges filed against Binance executive, Gambaryan Tigran.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced the withdrawal of the charges during a hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday,October 23.

During the hearing of the matter today, the EFCC’s lawyer explained that Mr. Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, was merely an employee of Binance and not directly involved in the activities for which he was being prosecuted.

Mark Mordi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Gambaryan’s defense attorney, agreed, stating that his client had no involvement in the broader financial decisions of the company.

The unexpected decision to drop the charges followed months of behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts between Nigerian and U.S. officials, who had been lobbying for Mr. Gambaryan’s release. U.S. lawmakers had also advocated for his freedom, appealing to both Nigerian and American authorities. Despite this, Mr. Gambaryan had been denied bail twice, with the judge ruling him a flight risk.

Binance, its U.S. head of financial crime compliance, Gambaryan, and the exchange British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were facing money laundering charges to the tune of $35 million brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Anjarwalla, however, fled lawful custody on March 22, 2024, while his counterpart, Gambaryan, was arraigned in April.

Following his arraignment, the court ordered his remand to Kuje Correctional Facility.

The World Bank in its latest Nigeria Development Update (NDU), has said that more than half of Nigeria’s population lives in poverty.

The report titled ‘Staying the course: Progress amid pressing challenges,’ World Bank said about 129 million Nigerians are living in poverty.

The Washington-based institution also said the country needs to create productive jobs to reduce poverty.

“Without jobs, poor Nigerians will not be able to escape poverty. Poverty is high and rising in Nigeria,” the World Bank said.

“More than half of the population lives in poverty. This partly reflects the modest overall pace of economic growth, which is insufficient to compensate for the erosion of purchasing power brought about by inflation.

“With growth proving too slow to outpace inflation, poverty has risen sharply. Since 2018, the share of Nigerians living below the national poverty is estimated to have risen sharply from 40.1 per cent to 56.0 per cent.

“Combined with population growth, this means that some 129 million Nigerians are living in poverty. This stark increase partly reflects Nigeria’s beleaguered growth record. Real GDP per capita has not recovered to the level it was at prior to the oil price-induced recession in 2016.

“The COVID-19 pandemic compounded this drop in economic activity. Moreover, growth is failing to outpace inflation: large increases in prices across almost all goods have diminished purchasing power.”

The World Bank also said poverty reflects the non-inclusive structure of growth.

According to the World Bank, the  best way to share the proceeds of growth is through jobs, however, employment is not enough to lift people out of poverty.

“Even when GDP was expanding more rapidly in the early 2010s, richer households benefited more. Jobs hold the key to sharing the proceeds of growth,” the Bretton Woods institution said.

“However, employment on its own is not enough to lift people out of poverty: Nigeria needs productive jobs, but these are scarce.

“Many jobs are not productive and therefore remunerative enough to afford a life beyond poverty.

“In Nigeria, as in many countries, high employment and high poverty coexist. In-work poverty is common as many jobs do not generate earnings that are high enough to escape poverty.

“Low incomes are symptomatic of low productivity jobs. Nigeria’s labor market is changing – with employment shifting from agriculture to services – but these changes are not increasing overall productivity and living standards, because many of the new service-sector jobs are in low-productivity sub-sectors like retail and wholesale trade.

“Sustained poverty reduction depends on creating wage jobs through macro-fiscal stability, growth, and private sector development, complemented by building human capital.”