Nigeria: Mr Waheed A Olagunju appointed acting MD/CEO, Bank of Industry

The Bank of Industry (BOI) has appointed Mr Waheed A Olagunju as Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to his new appointment, Mr Olagunju served on BOI's Board of Directors as Executive Director, Business Development. Previously, he was the Company Secretary of BOI for nearly 16 years and was General Manager, Strategic Planning and Corporate Communications between 2007 and 2012.

In these capacities, he was one of the architects and strong drivers behind BOI's outstanding turnaround and transformation into one of Africa's best Development Finance Institutions (DFI).

Mr Waheed A Olagunju's appointment follows the expiration of Ms Evelyn Oputu's eight-year tenure as BOI's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

"It is a great privilege to take on the role of Acting Managing Director/CEO for the Bank of Industry. I want to thank Ms Oputu for her outstanding work over the past eight years and the commendable achievements of BOI under her leadership," said Mr Olagunju.

Under Ms Oputu's tenure, BOI saw increased and continued involvement in national development, including the management of 25 initiatives on behalf of Federal and State Governments, private sector entities, foreign agencies and international organisations.

"BOI will continue to build on the solid foundation that has been laid under Ms Oputu's transformative leadership style," said Mr Olagunju. He added that BOI would continue to operate in line with best practices to enable it to effectively contribute to the successful implementation of Nigeria's Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP).

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Minister Olusegun Aganga, on behalf of the Nigerian Federal Government, also commended Ms Oputu for her brilliant performance in office, especially her able leadership qualities, which brought about the rapid transformation of BOI into a first-class development finance institution. Minister Aganga wished Ms Oputu all the very best in her future endeavours.

In line with BOI's mandate, Mr Olagunju will be required to ensure continuity with respect to the ongoing and diligent implementation of NIRP and NEDEP.

Mr Olagunju, who is 55 years old, holds Bachelor of Arts (1981) and Master of Social Science (1984) degrees from the University of Lagos, as well as a professional certificate in Investment Appraisal and Risk Analysis from the Queen's University, Canada.