Jobs/Appointments
Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund Picks Chinye-Nwoko as GM
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A medical doctor, Ms Fejiro Chinye-Nwoko, has been appointed as the General Manager of the Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF).
The appointment of the accomplished executive with over 10 years of experience in program management has been described as the right step as she will use her experience to meet the goals of the organisation.
The Chairman of Global Citizen Nigeria, Mr Tijani Babatunde Folawiyo, in a statement made available to Business Post, said, “We are delighted to welcome Dr Chinye-Nwoko to steer the NSSF towards its goal of vaccinating one million Nigerians.”
“Her wealth of knowledge and experience in healthcare equips her to navigate this huge task, which includes making sure that our citizens are well informed about the vaccine. We are excited to move the work of the fund forward with her involvement,” he added.
Reacting to her appointment, Ms Chinye-Nwoko said she aims to contribute to the building of a resilient healthcare system in Nigeria, with a focus on removing the barriers to access quality healthcare, noting that her first task will be the focus on vaccine equity and education.
“I would love to see NSSF bring together like-minded passionate Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, to help finance this new focus.
“We have identified the great need for our people to be protected against COVID-19 and to this end will be working to acquire vaccines and ensure that Nigerians have the benefit of knowledge about the vaccine.
“We will work towards creating an understanding of why it is necessary for as many of us as possible to be protected from the disease,” she said.
With the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Nigerians, NSSF aims to support vulnerable groups, strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare systems and reskill the Nigerian Youth for a post-COVID-19 era. To this end, the NSSF has set its main priority for 2021 going forward: To get One Million Nigerians vaccinated against COVID-19.
The group has raised over $ 2.4 million and is launching a new drive to encourage Nigerian philanthropists, HNIs, corporate organizations, the public sector and international businesses, to contribute to the pool.
The fund for Nigerians by Nigerians aims to raise $ 50 million and has donors to visit https://nigeriasolidarityfund.ng/donate/, noting that all donations will support the health and economic crises caused by the pandemic.
The new GM of the organisation has a proven track record in designing and implementing multi-donor projects from inception to completion. She is said to be ideally placed to oversee the focus on a vaccination program for Nigerians, driven by her passion for healthcare delivery.
Ms Chinye-Nwoko studied at the University of Port Harcourt and spent the first part of her career as a medical doctor with the Lagos State Health Service Commission.
She spent four years at the Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation where, amongst other initiatives, she led the development of policies and guidelines for the improvement of maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria.
In 2019 she gained a Masters degree in Global Health Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Through her consultancy work, she has been at the forefront of innovations in telemedicine and provided program management for EpiC, the USAID funded program which provides support to the Government of Nigeria to mitigate COVID-19 transmission, morbidity and mortality.
Jobs/Appointments
UNIZIK Appoints Nicholas Okoye Visiting Senior Lecturer, to Strengthen Digital Assets Education
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has appointed veteran investment banker and capital markets expert, Nicholas “Nicky” Okoye, as a Visiting Senior Lecturer in a move aimed at strengthening its capital markets and digital assets curriculum amid the growing global adoption of virtual assets and blockchain-based finance.
The appointment, which takes immediate effect, is expected to deepen the university’s capacity to train enterprise executives, entrepreneurs and policymakers in emerging areas such as cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), tokenisation of real-world assets and other digital financial innovations.
UNIZIK, which hosts one of Africa’s few dedicated Capital Markets faculties, said the appointment aligns with its strategy of equipping students and professionals with the knowledge and practical skills required to navigate the rapidly evolving financial ecosystem.
The university, in its statement, described the appointment as a significant milestone for the institution.
“Securing someone of Nicky Okoye’s calibre is a game-changer. As global finance evolves, we must equip enterprise executives, entrepreneurs and policymakers with the technical knowledge required to build long-term capital formation strategies. His real-world experience is invaluable.”
Okoye brings decades of experience across global and Nigerian financial institutions. His career includes serving as a Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch in the United States, Chief Strategy Officer at the Nigerian Exchange Group, and Founding Group Executive Director of Operations and Strategy at Transcorp Group Plc, where he led fundraising initiatives that collectively exceeded $1 billion.
He currently leads the Global Investment Advisory Community (GIAC), a coalition of local and international banks, asset managers and fintech firms working to develop a digital assets ecosystem across Africa and the Caribbean.
Beyond the private sector, Okoye has contributed to public policy, providing advisory support to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on capital market regulatory frameworks.
Stakeholders in the financial services sector have welcomed the appointment, expressing optimism that his academic engagement would help build capacity among investors and professionals as Nigeria expands its digital finance ecosystem.
Okoye also holds an honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Enugu State University of Technology, awarded in recognition of his contributions to enterprise development and business excellence.
He previously served on the Presidential Jobs Board and the National Council of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, where he provided strategic advice on economic development. Between 2014 and 2018, he advised the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Project Triple E, an initiative designed to strengthen indigenous participation in the upstream oil and gas value chain by integrating community-based contractors.
The appointment comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to establish a robust regulatory framework for digital assets. The Federal Government recently inaugurated a National Virtual Assets Council to coordinate the oversight and regulation of virtual and digital assets in the country.
The council is chaired by the Central Bank of Nigeria, with support from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Nigeria Revenue Service, as part of broader efforts to promote innovation while ensuring investor protection and financial system stability.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has been appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), with immediate effect.
A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Monday night said Mr Tinubu also made 25 other new appointments into 10 federal government agencies and commissions.
Also appointed was Major General Junaid Bindawa as chairman of the National Salary and Wages Commission.
On the board of REA are Mr Ahmadu Abubakar and Engineer Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta as members and non-executive directors. The incumbent DG of the agency, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, and three executive directors previously appointed make up the remaining board members.
President Tinubu made eight other appointments to the Wages Commission, along with Mr Bindawa. Former member of the House of Representatives from Lagos, Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, is the new secretary of the commission. Dr Ogbole Ene Lilian, Oladele Olatubosun, and Yakubu Umar Barde, representing Benue, Oyo and Kaduna, were appointed as commissioners.
Dr Mai Adamu Yau, from Borno, Ginika Florence Tor (Enugu), Engineer Lawrence Okoh (Edo) and Bello Morenike Iyabode (Kogi) were appointed as members of the commission.
Tosin Johnson Adeyanju, who was previously appointed as the Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), has now been moved to the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission as Secretary.
Mr Tinubu also appointed Dr Abuh Mohammed as the DG of the National Population Commission, Dr Akinola Odeyemi as Managing Director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), and Dr Anthony Inalegwu Godwin as chairman/CEO of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission. Engineer Julius Oloro, a former council chairman, is the new CEO of the Kwara-based National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), replacing Dr A.R. Kamal, who died last January.
The President constituted the board of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, with Dr Abdullahi Maikano Saidu as chairman. Members include Mohammed Asmau, Mohammed Aliyu Makama, Dr Suleiman Gidado, Louis O. Ndukwe, Amaechi Ugwele and Olaniyi Idowu Onikola.
Shuni Muhammad Dahiru is the new executive secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, replacing Professor Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu, who was reassigned to the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) in April.
To replace Mathias Byuan, the former executive director, finance of the Federal Housing Authority, who resigned to contest the governorship election in Benue, President Tinubu named Gisaor Vincent Iorja. The new occupier of the position is an economist, legal scholar, and academic currently serving as the secretary of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC).
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
In line with the 12-year tenure prescribed for non-executive directors of banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Tony Elumelu will on August 21, 2026, cease to be chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc.
The board of the financial institution at its meeting on July 6, 2026, has elected Mr Emmanuel Nnorom as the new chairman.
In a notice to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, the lender said Mr Elumelu’s successor, a non-executive director of the company, will assume the new role on August 21, 2026.
Mr Nnorom is a chartered accountant with over 40 years of experience in banking, finance and audit. He brings to the role extensive leadership experience and deep institutional knowledge of UBA.
“I am honoured by the trust the Board has placed in me and deeply conscious of the legacy I inherit.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board, management and our staff across all our markets to sustain UBA’s momentum and continue delivering long-term value to our shareholders, customers and stakeholders,” Mr Nnorom stated.
Commenting on his retirement, Mr Elumelu said, “Serving United Bank for Africa has been one of the great privileges of my career.
“UBA has a unique competitive position, across Africa and globally, and I leave the Board with great confidence in UBA’s future.
“Emmanuel Nnorom is a leader of integrity, experience and sound judgement, and I am confident that the Bank will continue to thrive under his leadership.”
The board thanked him for his visionary leadership and exceptional contribution to the growth, transformation and institutional strength of the UBA Group.
