Jobs/Appointments
Senate Okays Yuguda as SEC DG, Wants Enabling Climate for Investors
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The nomination of Mr Lamido Yuguda as the new Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been confirmed by the Senate.
Mr Yuguda from Gombe State was selected for the position by President Muhammadu Buhari and he is to replace Ms Mary Uduk, who has occupied the post for years in an acting capacity.
At the plenary on Wednesday, the Senate, after receiving a report of its Committee on Capital Markets presented by its Chairman, Mr Ibikunle Amosun, said the new DG should ensure he attracts more investors to the market.
The Senate President, Mr Ahmad Lawan, who spoke after Mr Amosun said Mr Yuguda was capable of occupying the position, said tasked the apex capital market regulator to ensure efficiency in the discharge of its duties.
“The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) must be efficient and effective in ensuring that we are able to attract and sustain not only domestic investment but foreign direct investment.
“People should bring their monies and feel safe with their investments here.
“This is essential to create the very enabling climate for investors to be attracted and retained here in the country,” the Senate President told Mr Yuguda.
Also confirmed alongside Mr Yuguda yesterday were three Executive Commissioners nominees; Mr Reginald Karawusa, Mr Ibrahim Boyi and Mr Temidayo Obisan.
The new SEC chief obtained a B.Sc. (Honours) degree in Accounting in 1983 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and an M.Sc. in Money, Banking and Finance in 1991 from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
He also holds a Certificate in Financial Asset Management and Engineering from the Swiss Finance Institute, Geneva, Switzerland and a Certificate in Investment Performance Management from the CFA Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a holder of the CFA charter.
Mr Yuguda has attended leadership training programmes at leading business schools including Harvard, INSEAD, IMD, Saïd, Wharton, Haas, Kellogg, Chicago Booth and London.
He is expected to bring to the agency more than three decades of experience as a central banker, economist, and investment manager.
Mr Yuguda started his career with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 1984 and worked in several departments such as Foreign Operations, Banking Supervision and Reserve Management.
He also served in the Debt Conversion Committee Secretariat where he managed the Nigerian Debt Conversion Programme together with the pioneer staff in the secretariat.
In 1997, he joined the staff of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC, USA, on secondment as an economist in the Africa Department.
In this position, Mr Yuguda assessed economic policies, offered policy advice and managed balance of payment support programmes in IMF member countries.
In 2001, Mr Yuguda returned to the CBN to lead a team of staff to restructure and diversify the CBN’s growing foreign exchange reserve portfolio.
A new investment policy was adopted, new asset classes introduced, the CBN’s in-house fixed income trading and settlement capabilities were upgraded, while a reputable global custodian and securities lending agent as well as several international asset managers were selected.
The new SEC boss reached the pinnacle of his career at the CBN as Director of the Reserve Management Department from 2010 to 2016, where he inculcated a strong risk-aware investment culture and engendered a disciplined approach to investment evaluation. He retired voluntarily in 2016.
Mr Yuguda has served as a non-executive director on the boards of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Premium Pension Limited. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the SEC since June 2019 and is happily married with children.
Recall that President Buhari, in a letter to the Senate, sought the confirmation of the new DG “Pursuant to Section 3 and 5(1) of the Investment and Securities Act 2007.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The conclusion of the 2025 Performance Appraisal Exercise of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has resulted in the promotion and step increments of about 1,126 employees of the organisation.
The reward for performance involved the promotion of 547 employees and 579 step increments, reaffirming the company’s unwavering commitment to recognising excellence, rewarding performance and building one of Africa’s most admired workplaces.
AEDC disclosed that these actions reflect its deliberate investment in its people as the energy firm accelerates its transformation into a customer-centric, high-performing electricity distribution company with global standards and Pan-African aspirations.
The promotions and step increments, approved by the management, recognise employees who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, professionalism and outstanding performance in advancing AEDC’s strategic objectives.
However, employees who were not successful in the current appraisal cycle have been urged to remain committed, emphasising that the performance management process is designed to support continuous growth, capability development and future advancement opportunities.
“Our people remain our greatest asset and the foundation upon which AEDC’s future will be built. Today’s announcement is more than a reward for performance; it is a reaffirmation of our belief that excellence should always be recognised, talent should be nurtured and hard work should create opportunities for growth.
“As we continue our transformation journey, we are building an organisation where our employees can develop rewarding careers, realise their full potential and proudly contribute to creating one of Africa’s leading electricity distribution companies,” the chief executive of AEDC, Mr Chijioke Okwuokenye, stated.
He added that AEDC is intentionally creating a workplace where merit, continuous learning, innovation and collaboration drive career progression, while employee wellbeing remains central to its long-term strategy.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian international lawyer and anti-corruption specialist, Mr Ibrahim James Pam, has been appointed Acting Director-General of the World Bank Group’s Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), a key independent accountability body within the institution.
The appointment, approved by the boards of the World Bank Group, will take effect on August 2, 2026.
Mr Pam, who currently serves as Chair of the World Bank Inspection Panel, will oversee the CAO on an interim basis pending the appointment of a substantive Director-General and Vice President of the World Bank Group Independent Accountability Mechanism.
The development was announced in a statement issued by the Head of Communications of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman, Emily Horgan, who said the arrangement was designed to ensure continuity during the organisation’s leadership transition.
“In view of the forthcoming leadership transition at the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the World Bank Group Boards have designated Ibrahim Pam, Chair of the Inspection Panel, to concurrently serve as acting CAO Director General, effective August 2, 2026,” the statement said.
“Mr Pam will serve in this role until the new World Bank Group Independent Accountability Mechanism Director General/Vice President is appointed.”
The Compliance Advisor Ombudsman is the independent accountability mechanism for projects financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), both members of the World Bank Group.
Created in 1999, the CAO reports directly to the boards of IFC and MIGA and handles complaints from individuals and communities affected by projects supported by the two institutions, while promoting environmental and social accountability.
Mr Pam, who is married with children and grandchildren, brings extensive experience in international law, anti-corruption, compliance, human rights and criminal investigations to the role.
He is the son of the late Lt. Col. James Pam, a former Adjutant General of the Nigerian Army, and Mrs Ngo Elizabeth Pam, a human rights advocate who served on the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, popularly known as the Oputa Panel, as well as the Plateau Peace Conference.
Over the years, Mr Pam has built a distinguished international career investigating human rights violations, financial crimes, fraud, institutional misconduct and mass atrocities across several jurisdictions.
He has served as a member of the World Bank Inspection Panel since January 2023. Prior to that, he was Head ad interim of the Independent Redress Mechanism of the Green Climate Fund in Songdo, South Korea, between August 2022 and March 2023, after leading the Fund’s Independent Integrity Unit from November 2016 to November 2022.
His professional experience also includes roles with the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), where he served as Resident Investigator with the UN Mission in South Sudan, the African Development Bank’s Integrity and Anti-Corruption Department, and the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Earlier in his career, he provided legal support to Nigeria’s Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (Oputa Panel) between 2000 and 2002.
A graduate of the University of Jos, Mr Pam began his legal career at J.Y. Pam & Co. before working in private legal practice, the banking sector and later the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
While at the ICPC, he received the prestigious Chevening Scholarship, which enabled him to earn a Master’s degree in International Law and Justice Policy from the London School of Economics in 2005
His appointment is expected to strengthen the World Bank Group’s accountability and oversight framework, given his extensive background in governance, integrity, compliance and international justice.
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.
