The Institute

Ken Opara, Ph.D, FCIB is the President/Chairman of Council of the Institute, he was elected at the 2022 Annual General Meeting on April 9,as the 22nd President/Chairman of Council. He has an extensive experience over the last 30 years in key positions include Branch Banking/Regional Management, Consumer Banking, Electronic Banking, Retail Banking and SME banking.

He is currently the Executive Director, Fidelity Bank Plc. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director in charge of the Lagos & Southwest Directorate of Fidelity Bank, he served as General Manager/Regional Bank Head, Ikeja; Divisional Head, Managed SMEs, Multilateral Agencies & Trade Missions; Divisional Head, SMEs, Electronic & Consumer Banking amongst a number of roles. He is a transformational leader known to have developed and nurtured new Business start-ups from scratch to enviable heights. Dr. Opara, was sworn-in on May 21, 2022, at a well-attended CIBN Presidential Investiture ceremony at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos where he unveiled his strategic thrust designed to drive the institute’s objectives for the next two years. Themed “FUTURE” and built on six pillars namely: Financial innovation and transformation, Dealing with industry Uncertainties, Trade and finance collaboration, Unveiling pathways for membership growth, Reengineering and Rebranding the industry’s business model around Gen Z and Ethical conduct and governance, the strategy is positioned to help the Institute attract Nigeria’s burgeoning youth population. Youth segment provides opportunity for value creation, employment generation, economic growth and improved social security. The Institute under his watch will play a pivotal role as a critical stakeholder and partner between the practitioners and the regulators while ensuring adherence to corporate governance and ethical behaviour.

Dr Opara is also the Chairman of the Governing Councils of the Institute. Prior his election, he had served for several years on the Institute’s Governing Council as well as Governing Council Committees such as: 1st Vice President (2020–2022); Chairman Board of Fellows & Practice Licence (2020 – 2022); 2nd Vice President, (2018 – 2020); Chairman Disciplinary Tribunal (2018 – 2020); Chairman, CIBN Staff Restructuring Committee (2019); National Treasurer (2016 – 2018); Chairman F&GPC (2016 – 2018); Chairman of Board, CIBN Press (2016 – 2018); Governing Council Member (2014 – 2016); Vice Chairman/Ag. Chairman, Membership Development Committee (2014 – 2016); Vice Chairman, Membership Development Committee (2012 – 2014)

He was also appointed to represent CIBN at the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) meetings (2015 – 2016) and served as Chairman of the finance subcommittee of Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (2015 – 2016). Other Committees he also served are Member, Governing Council Audit Committee (2015); Member, Governing Council Investigating panel Committee (2015); Vice Chairman, Annual Bankers Dinner Committee (2015); Chairman, CIBN, Fidelity Chapter (2013 – 2016) and Member, Governing Council Annual Banking & Finance Conference Consultative Committee (2012 & 2013). Dr. Opara appointed as the Vice-Chairman of Governing Council Membership Development Committee in year 2013, where he headed membership mobilization development drive of the Institute, that grew membership by 40%. As Ag. Chairman of Governing Council Membership Development Committee, he recommended and got Governing Council approval for introduction of insurance policy for members of the Institute. He also received awards such as the Most supportive Bank in 2014 & 2019 awarded to Fidelity Bank by the Institute; the Best Supportive Financial Institution at the 5th Annual Banking and Finance Conference (2013) and Best Supportive Bank by CIBN Lagos State Branch ( 2014).

He also served at the following committees on National assignment including Central Bank of Nigeria Mobile Collateral Registry Committee (2014 – 2017); Central Bank of Nigeria N220 billion MSME development fund review Committee (2014) and Subcommittee on capacity building for SMEs by National Council on MSME.

Dr. Opara has a B.Sc (Finance), Second Class Upper, master’s in business administration (MBA) and Ph.D. in Credit Management from International University of Panama. He has attended several local and international programs including Harvard Business School, Kellog, Wharton, INSEAD, Euro Money Programmes etc. Ken is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and an Associate member of the Institute of Certified Pension of Nigeria as well as Associate of the Chartered Institute of Credit Administration. He is married with four kids.

LLB, (HONS), LL.M, PhD, BL, BA, M.SC, FCIB, FIMA, FCMR, APNM, AMNIM, FERP,

Prof. Olanrewaju is a thorough bred professional and seasoned academic. He belongs to many professional bodies among which is the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). He is a fellow of (CIBN), a fellow of Institute of Capital Market Registrars, a fellow of Institute of Management and Administrative Technology and a fellow of the Enterprise Risk Management Professionals.   He is currently a Council member of CIBN and Chairman of Capacity Building and Certification of the Institute with over 25 years of continuous service to our great Institute. He Co-Authored several books and Articles in Learned Journals.

His career had transversed the economy for the past 30 (thirty) years from banking, legal consultancy, management and academic. He is well nurtured in Banking and Commercial Law. Prof. Olanrewaju is a professor of banking Law in Babcock University. He is currently the Provost/Dean of Law in the School of Law and Security Studies, Babcock University, Ilisan.

Dele Alabi has over 28 years of diversified experience in banking, having worked in various areas including Treasury and Financial Institutions, Strategy and Business Development, Corporate Banking, Finance, Controls and Risk Management functions in the Ecobank Group. He also has country supervision and management experience, as the pioneer Managing Director for Ecobank Uganda since inception in January 2009 till August 2011.

He joined Ecobank Nigeria in 1993 and rose to senior management position in the affiliate before his transfer to the group in January 2007. He was a member of the team involved in growing Ecobank franchise in the East and Southern African region between 2007 and 2008. Prior to joining Ecobank Nigeria PLC in 1993, he worked for 5 years in Arthur Andersen & Co (now KPMG Professional Services), an international audit and consulting firm. He is currently the Managing Director for Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) Specialised Finance Company, Mauritius. Prior to this appointment, he was the Executive Director (Finance and Control) for Ecobank Nigeria, a position he held from September 2011 to December 2016.

Dele holds a First Class Honours degree in Accounting from the University of Ife and an MBA (specializing in Finance) from the University of Lagos. He is an award - winning Chartered Stockbroker (Fellow), Chartered Accountant (Fellow), Chartered Banker (Fellow) and Chartered Tax practitioner (Associate). Dele is the President of the West African Bankers Association (Nigeria Chapter). He is also a member of the Governing Council and the current National Treasurer of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.

Mrs. Mojisola Bakare-Asieru is the National Treasurer of the Institute. She was elected at the 2022 Annual General Meeting on April 9 and swore-in on Saturday, May 21, 2022. She has a prevalent experience of over 29 years within the Banking Industry in key positions including International Operations; Transaction, and Services; Investment Banker, Operations, Sales, Branch Management, Manufacturing/FMCG, Energy, Telecommunications, Financial Institutions, Coverage, Emerging Corporates, Wealth Management and Multinationals.

She is currently the General Manager, Sterling Bank Plc. Prior to her appointment in 2014 as General Manager/Divisional Head, Corporate Client Coverage and Sales Division which includes Energy group (Upstream, midstream, downstream, Power and Renewable Energy) Manufacturing/FMCG, Telecommunications, Financial Institutions, Coverage, Emerging Corporates, Wealth Management and Multinationals, a group that has evolved maximally under her leadership, she served as Group Head, International Operations and Group Head, Transaction, and Services Group where she Introduced and supervised the implementation of the Bank’s revised local Money Transfer (Equiswift).

Mrs. Bakare-Asieru has operated and collaborated in several capacities while effectively introducing change and recording growth within the many groups that she has interacted with. She was a Treasurer at the defunct Equitorial Trust Bank (now Sterling Bank plc) for years and a pivotal stakeholder in the merger between Equitorial Bank and Sterling Bank. She was also an active member of the interim management team of Sterling Bank where she managed seamlessly; people, processes, & systems integration in a record period of six months.

Mojisola has consistently served the Governing Council Committees in various capacities over the years including Adhoc Committee on the Annual Bankers Dinner as Chairman, Logistic Sub-Committee; Membership Services Committee as Vice-Chairman; Consultative Committee of the Annual Banking and Finance Conference; Capacity Building & Certification Committee and others. She also served various years as a member of organising Committees of Lagos State prestigious Banker’s Nite where she left incredible and an impressive funds for the Branch.

Mrs. Bakare-Asieru is an ethical, disciplined, and strategic leader who holds other critical roles within Sterling Bank Plc. She served as the Chairman of Sterling Disciplinary Committee, a position that she held for over two years. In this role, she propagated the importance of ethics while leading the team to strategically mentor and shape a workforce that is compliant with disciplinary requirements both within the bank and the banking industry at large. She also chaired the Bank’s Service Management Committee where she enabled the Bank to offer exceptional services to the clients and customers.

Mojisola also sits on the Leadership of the Bloom Network to mentor and enable younger female bankers to optimize their banking careers, as with any individual of value, agility, and impact. She is currently serving as the Vice President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a Member, LCCI Membership and Welfare Committee amongst others.

Mrs. Bakare-Asieru is a leader and formidable change enabler of excellence, who is very passionate about two things: mentoring and banking. She attended several local and international programs including Corporate Governance and Board Leadership (Lagos Business School-Pan - Atlantic University); Women Executive Leadership: Business Strategies for Success (The Wharton School-University of Pennsylvania: Leading Organizational Change Program (The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania).

Mrs. Bakare-Asieru is a Fellow of the Institute; Institute of Credit Administration Nigeria; Chartered Institute of Loans; Risk Management, Nigeria and Enterprise Risk Professional; Chartered Banker, Chartered Institute of Bankers Scotland and also an alumnus of the revered INSEAD Fontainebleau, France and Bangor University Northwales, United Kingdom. She is married into the Asieru-Sweet family.