Jobs/Appointments
Digital Finance Practitioners Elect Leaders for Lagos Chapter
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Digital Finance Practitioners (ADFP) in Nigeria has been launched, with leaders elected to steer the ship for the next year.
The new executives emerged after a keenly contested election that took place virtually from November 27 to 28, 2021, producing Abubakar Shehu, Director VAS, Gateway and Broadband Sales at Globacom as President.
Other elected members of the committee included Adedoyin Samo, Group Head, HR & Admin., Zedcrest Capital Limited, elected as Vice President; ‘Nifemi Oluboyede, Product Manager – credit, Kuda Digital Bank elected as Secretary; Lukmon Oloyede, Head, Product Marketing & Brand Communication, Zedvance Finance Limited emerged as Publicity Secretary; Yemi Kehinde, Group Head, Zedcrest Capital Limited as Legal Officer and Amarachi Wogu, Head, Channel Delivery, Inclusive Banking at Heritage Bank Plc as Welfare Officer.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Shehu commended the electoral committee for a free and fair election and the event organizing committees for hosting a successful historic event.
“As we consult with the board of trustees to fulfil the objectives of the ADFP, we promise to do our best to make the association a force to reckon with in the industry as we promote financial inclusion and advocate for more stakeholders’ policies and regulations that would deepen the DFS ecosystem in Nigeria,” he said.
Before the inauguration of the new executives, an interactive panel session was held on The Role of Country Association in Capacity Building for DFS Design and Delivery.
The panelislts – Folasade Femi-Lawal, AGM, Card & Messaging Business, FirstBank Nigeria; Stanley Jacob, Director, Country Business Development, MasterCard Nigeria; Kayode Olubiyi, Head, Physical Digital Bank, UBA; Kayode Kalejaiye, Head, Digital Products & Innovation, International Digital Financial Services at Essex, UK emphasized the importance of having a community of practice for exchange of knowledge, collaboration and networking in the DFS ecosystem.
According to Kayode Olubiyi, investing in capacity building should be encouraged by all institutions and regulators as the financial sector continues to evolve.
“The entire world is struck by digital transformation and is becoming more interconnected by the day using digital technologies. Digital finance has brought together people from different fields.
“To build sustainable financial products, design policies and provide appropriate regulation, we need stakeholders’ engagement – and this includes capacity building and knowledge sharing,” he said.
Folasade Femi-Lawal, in the same vein, stated that one of the major ways to bridge the talent gap in the industry is to upskill employees.
She said “export of talent is happening all over the world especially and it is important to we build a pool of talent that would quickly fill the industry gap. Despite the export of talent in Africa, many organizations across the world are still looking forward to extending their footprint in Africa.
“So, we need the ADFP to be at the forefront of talent development for the future. Undertaking the Certificate in Digital Money (CIDM) and the Leading Digital Money Markets (LDMM), and other Digital Frontiers Institute (DFI) qualifications certified by the Fletcher School at Tufts University, USA should be encouraged by all institutions especially for those in the financial sector and other related job roles.”
According to Stanley Jacob, ADFP is already producing leaders that are passionate about financial innovation. He charged the newly elected executives of ADFP Lagos to be a major driver of DFS innovation and to collaborate with innovation hubs, banking and finance institutions and other key stakeholders in Nigeria to bridge the talent gap.
Formulated by the Alumni of the Digital Frontiers Institute (DFI) Community of Practice (COP) members, the ADFP Lagos was created to catalyse the capacity of Nigerian Digital Finance Service (DFS) practitioners towards ensuring a greater level of financial inclusion and digital inclusiveness for all. It also seeks to promote digital transformation, ethical work culture within the DFS ecosystem, and contribute to sustainable development.
While delivering the keynote address at the event held on Saturday, December 11, the Chief Executive Officer, Alliance of Digital Finance Associations (The Alliance), Sarah Corley, stated that the inauguration of the Lagos Chapter of ADFP would, no doubt, deepen the DFS ecosystem in Nigeria through the exchange of knowledge, information and promotion of industry best practices.
“ADFP Nigeria is one of the founding members of the Alliance and I am personally happy that we are coming together globally to share a mutual passion about digital finance and to talk about change.
“It’s not just about learning but about how we can use that knowledge to improve digital financial services and better the lives of many people that are financially excluded by enabling them to have access to credit, insurance, loans and other financial services.”
“We are all part of a big ecosystem that include researchers, bankers, product managers etc. We all know that the banking and finance industry will not remain the same in the next 20 years. So, if we are saying Digital Finance is a profession, then we need a professional association to belong with. We should have associations that practitioners can be part of to make an impact and that is the role ADFP would fill,” Corley said.
Since 2016, Nigeria has had over 300 professionals trained in different aspects of digital financial services design and delivery across the domains of operations, technology, and regulation. Such knowledge and skillset cannot guarantee the anticipated impact if not well harnessed.
To achieve this, the country-level Community of Practice was set up to coordinate professional knowledge discourse and practice among DFS enthusiasts undertaking the CIDM, LDMM and other courses.
Graduates of these courses alongside other specialized courses have today become members of alumni networks in over 21 countries across the globe. These alumni networks which have grown into legally registered country associations, continue to play a significant role in deepening the DFS ecosystem through expansive and inclusive professional membership development opportunities, while also contributing to the growth of financial inclusion and the digital economy.
Nigeria has the rare privilege of having two chapters of the alumni network (Lagos and Abuja) under the Association of Digital Finance Practitioners (ADFP), Nigeria. It is the vision of ADFP to be a world-class professional association that will contribute to the evolution and development of the DFS ecosystem.
ADFP in Nigeria is a founding member of the Global Alliance of Digital Finance Associations (ADFA) and registered under the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act CAP C20 LFN 2004.
As a professional association of certified and experienced industry practitioners and academia, AFDP is guided by a constitution under an advisory oversight of a board of trustees. ADFP is run by an executive team with years of experience in both industry and academia.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
Mr Aliyu, a professor, is to replace Mr Ahmed Galadima Aminu, who recently resigned to participate in the 2027 governorship election in Adamawa State.
In a statement by a spokesperson to the President, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, it was disclosed that the appointment of Mr Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz as the chief executive of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has been renewed for a second and final term.
These appointments are said to take effect immediately.
Professor Aliyu, the new PTDF helmsman, is a distinguished academic and seasoned administrator with extensive experience in research, education, and institutional leadership. His appointment underscores the President’s commitment to strengthening key institutions in the petroleum sector and advancing capacity development for Nigeria’s energy industry.
“The President expects him to leverage his wealth of experience to reposition the PTDF for greater impact in human capital development, innovation, and strategic support for the oil and gas sector in line with national priorities.
“President Tinubu renewed Engineer Abdulaziz’s appointment following a comprehensive assessment of his performance and leadership of the nation’s transmission network.
“Under his stewardship, TCN has recorded notable improvements in grid stability, transmission capacity expansion, and system modernisation, reinforcing its critical role in Nigeria’s electricity value chain.
“Engr. Abdulaziz brings over three decades of experience in the power sector and has also strengthened regional electricity integration through his leadership in the West African Power Pool (WAPP).
“President Tinubu urges both appointees to discharge their responsibilities with diligence, integrity, and a strong sense of national service,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited saw its workforce rise by 12.2 per cent to 6,247 at the end of 2025 from 5,566 in the corresponding period of 2024, according to its latest employee data.
The state oil firm stated that its employees increased by 14.3 per cent from 5,495 recorded at the end of the first quarter of 2025 to 6,280 at the end of the second quarter of 2025.
Its staff strength, however, dropped by 0.11 per cent to 6,273 workers in the third quarter of 2025 and further shrank by 0.41 per cent to 6,247 in the last quarter of the year under review.
Giving a breakdown of its workforce in terms of gender, the NNPC disclosed that at the end of the fourth quarter, 5,044 employees, representing 80.7 per cent of its workforce, were males, while 1,203 employees, representing 19.3 per cent of its total workforce, were females.
Further breakdown revealed that Junior Staff 2 (JS 2) and Junior Staff 1 (JS1) cadres had one staff member and 175 staff members, respectively, at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, as against one staff and 187 staff members, respectively, recorded in the third quarter of 2025.
In addition, the Senior Staff Seven (SS7) cadre had 31 employees, remaining the same as in the previous quarter, while the SS6 cadre dropped to 1,010 staff, from 1,012 staff recorded at the end of the third quarter of 2025.
The SS5, SS4, SS3, SS2 and SS1 staff cadre recorded 1,076 staff, 164 staff, 389 staff, 471 staff and 1,829 staff, respectively, in the quarter under review, compared with 1,076 staff, 164 staff, 391 staff, 478 staff and 1,835 staff, respectively, recorded in the third quarter of 2025.
Management Six (M6) cadre had 695 staff in the second quarter of 2025, compared with 699 staff in the same category in the previous quarter, while M5, M4, M3, M2 and M1 cadres had 237 staff, 117 staff, 47 staff, seven staff and one staff respectively, compared with 243 staff, 116 staff, 44 staff, seven staff and one staff in the corresponding cadres in the third quarter of 2025.
Further analysis of the NNPC workforce across different cadres showed that JS2 and JS1 accounted for 0.02 per cent and 2.75 per cent of its total workforce, respectively, while SS7, SS6, SS5, SS4, SS3, SS2 and SS1 cadres accounted for 0.50 per cent, 16.17 per cent, 17.22 per cent, 2.63 per cent, 6.23 per cent, 7.54 per cent and 29.28 per cent of the state oil company’s total workforce, respectively.
In addition, NNPC’s M6, M5, M4, M3, M2 and M1 cadres accounted for 11.13 per cent, 3.79 per cent, 1.87 per cent, 0.75 per cent, 0.11 per cent and 0.02 per cent, respectively.
In general, the NNPC Limited noted that it had 173 employees in its junior staff category; 4,970 employees in its senior staff category, and 1,104 employees in its management category.
It also reported that in its middle management cadre, it has 932 employees, accounting for 14.92 per cent of its total workforce, while the top management cadre had 172 employees, accounting for 2.75 per cent of its total workforce.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Mr Ibrahim Ida as Chairman of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Mr Ida holds an MSc in Banking and Finance from the University of Ibadan (1983) and an LLB from the University of Abuja (2003). Before being elected to the Senate in 2017 to represent Katsina Central, he served as the Commissioner of Finance for Katsina State and as the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Civil Service.
His appointment comes as the CAC faces legislative scrutiny over its books. The commission is part of a group of agencies that the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended zero allocation for the year 2026, for allegedly failing to account for public funds appropriated to them.
The committee, at an investigative hearing held in February, accused CAC and some other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of shunning invitations to respond to audit queries contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s annual reports for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
It asked the National Assembly not to continue to appropriate public funds to institutions that disregard accountability mechanisms.
President Tinubu also nominated seven people to fill vacant commissioner positions at the National Population Commission (NPC) as Federal Commissioners to represent their respective states in the National Population Commission. The nominees are;
1. Kolawole Oladipupo Alabi – Ekiti State
2. Nasiru Mu’azu – Zamfara State
3. Usman Abubakar Tuggar – Bauchi State
4. Dr Isaka Alada Yahaya – Kwara State
5. Prof. Sadiq Isah Radda – Katsina State
6. Suleiman Umar – Jigawa State
7. Hon. Chiso Abdullahi Dattijo – Sokoto State
The appointments, which complement other Federal Commissioners already sworn in, are subject to confirmation by the National Assembly.
The President also appointed Mr Yusuf Mohammed of Kano State as Chairman of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo, and confirmed the appointment of Mr Bala Mohammed Bello as his Special Adviser on Political Economy.
Mr Bello, from Kebbi State, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and an MBA from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Before this appointment, he was a Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He also served as Executive Director (Corporate Services) at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) from 2017 to 2022.
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