Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria Patrick Akinwuntan, will retire from the company next month.
He will be replaced by Jubril Mobolaji Lawal, as Regional Executive and Managing Director designate of Ecobank Nigeria, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),according to a statement by Adenike Laoye, the Group Head, Corporate Communications and Chief of Staff to the Group Chief Executive Officer, he will be replaced by Jubril Mobolaji Lawal.
Lawal joined the employ of GTBank in 1992 as an Executive Trainee, rising through the ranks to the position of General Manager/Head, Digital Banking Division, from where he was appointed Executive Director/Head, Digital Banking at GTBank in March 2017. A versatile senior banking executive and digital transformation specialist for over 28 years, he has deep involvement and experience in digital and retail banking, corporate and commercial banking, credit risk management and corporate finance. His previous experience includes being Executive Director at GTBank Plc Nigeria, and Non-Executive Director roles at both GTBank Ghana Limited and Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems Plc. Mobolaji led the team that
Akinwuntan’s exit, having reached the retirement age, the statement noted, joined Ecobank in 1996, and has held various senior and executive management positions in his over 25 years within the Ecobank Group, traversing Ghana, Togo and Nigeria. Before his appointment as Regional Executive and Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, he was Group Executive, Consumer Banking, responsible for leading the Consumer Banking business across Ecobank’s global network of 39 countries, 35 of which are in Africa.
Ecobank Group explained that the MD-designate emerged, the statement added, following a keenly contested selection process, which included both internal and external candidates.
A degree holder from the Obafemi Awolowo University; with a B.L. from the Nigerian Law School and a Master of Business Administration from Oxford University, United Kingdom, he has also attended several executive management and banking specific developmental programmes at leading educational institutions.
Speaking on the appointment, Ade Ayeyemi, Chief Executive of the Ecobank Group, said the pan-African bank stands “to benefit from the extensive experience that he has acquired in various fields across banking, which will play a major role in continuing to rebuild our franchise in Nigeria. Nigeria is a key market for us, in which we have seen significant improvement over the past three years as we reposition and leverage upon our pan-African strengths in digital products and services, payments and as the go-to-bank for businesses seeking to grasp the growth opportunities being created by the AfCFTA, across all our markets on the continent.”
In her comment, Mrs. Bola Adesola, the Chairman of Ecobank Nigeria said the board and management look “forward to working with Mobolaji and assure him of the full support of the Board, Management and all the staff of Ecobank Nigeria. The business in Nigeria is on the path of transformation and we are confident that Mobolaji will have a significant impact in advancing our positive trajectory.”
