2023: 5 Things to Know About CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele
- There are rumours that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele will contest the 2023 presidential elections.
- The rumours were further fuelled by the huge number of support groups rooting for Emefiele who thronged the venue of the APC national convention
- While Emefiele has kept mum on his purported presidential ambition, he has been endorsed by dozens of political groups in the past few weeks
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FCT, Abuja - The name of Nigeria's apex bank chief, Godwin Emefiele has been dominant in political conversations in the country in recent times.
Emefiele has been mentioned as a potential successor to President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria prepares for another electoral contest in 2023.
Source: Twitter
Legit.ng lists 5 things to know about Emefiele:
1. Early years and education
Godwin Ifeanyichukwu Emefiele was born on August 4, 1961, in Lagos state, while his roots are firmly anchored in Ika South local government area of Delta state. He attended Government Primary School (formally Ansar-U Deen Primary School), Lagos between 1967 and 1973.
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He had his secondary education at Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School, Ikeja, Lagos, where he obtained his West African School Certificate in June 1978. Emefiele holds a B.Sc. degree in Finance (1984), and an MBA in Finance in 1986, both from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
He is also an alumnus of Executive Education at Stanford University, Harvard University (2004), and Wharton School of Business (2005).
2. Career
Prior to his joining the CBN, Emefiele spent over 26 years in commercial banking, icing it with his tenure as Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank PLC, one of Nigeria’s largest banks. He had earlier served as a director at Zenith Bank Plc and Zenith Bank (Gambia) Limited.
Under Emefiele’s leadership, Zenith Bank had strengthened its position as a leading financial institution in Africa, winning recognition and endorsements at home and abroad for giant strides.
3. Journey to CBN
On June 3, 2014, former President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Emefiele as the 11th substantive CBN governor. He replaced Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
4. Achievements in CBN
Emefiele, as the CBN governor, is renowned for spearheading the diversification of Nigeria’s economy through long and medium-term strategies.
Under him, the CBN has established initiatives to genuinely tackle challenges of job creation, economic productivity, poverty eradication, and food security.
The Bank’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, piloted in Kebbi state, has financed 4.5 million farmers that have cultivated 5.3 million hectares across 21 commodities through 23 participating financial institutions in the 36 states of the federation and FCT.
5. Awards and Recognition
Emefiele was twice named LEADERSHIP Person of the Year, first in 2016 and then in 2020, for adding the concept of social business to the portfolio of Nigeria’s apex bank and ever anticipating areas of intervention; and for cushioning the economic backlash of the outbreak of COVID-19 on ordinary Nigerians.
2023: Godwin Emefiele’s supporters take over APC national convention
Legit.ng had earlier reported that supporters pushing for the presidential candidacy of Emefiele, on Saturday, March 26 stole the limelight in the nation’s capital, Abuja, just as the APC held its national convention.
The supporters who comprised mainly of youths and women say they have been the biggest beneficiaries of Emefiele's empowerment packages at the apex bank.
They thronged the nation’s capital in their thousands, calling on the bank chief to run for presidency in 2023.
2023: Pro-Emefiele group holds rally at APC convention, declares support for CBN governor
Earlier in the day, the Emefiele Solidarity Vanguard staged a massive rally at Eagles Square while the APC national convention was ongoing.
Dressed in branded t-shirts, while displaying banners and placards of Emefiele, the group asked leaders of the ruling party to allow the apex bank chief to succeed President Buhari.
According to them, President Buhari has been able to achieve so much because of the fiscal policy of the CBN and its implementation by the Emefiele-led team at the apex bank.
Source: Legit.ng
