Personality in Focus
AABLA Names Zenith Bank’s Adam As CFO of the Year
The All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) in partnership with CNBC Africa, has named the Chief Financial Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Mukhtar Adam, as the ‘Chief Financial Officer of the Year’.
The award ceremony, the 11th in the series, took place at the King’s Ballroom, Sun City, South Africa, on Friday. This places Dr. Mukhtar on the same pedestal with other celebrated professionals across Africa.
Expressing his gratitude for the recognition, Dr. Mukhtar thanked the judges and organisers of the award, expressing his appreciation for being deemed a fitting recipient of the ‘Chief Financial Officer of the Year’ for 2023. He dedicated the award to the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR. Additionally, he expressed his gratitude to the management of Zenith Bank, his colleagues in Nigeria and the bank’s subsidiaries for fostering a positive work environment. Dr. Mukhtar also extended his thanks to the bank’s many customers.
The All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA), in partnership with CNBC Africa, represents Africa’s largest single-business awards, celebrating the pinnacle of African business achievement. The AABLA has consistently narrated an African story of perseverance, success, innovation, and accountability. It has become synonymous with recognising the finest in business leadership on the African continent.
Dr. Mukhtar Adam is a distinguished finance professional with over two decades of cognate experience. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Finance from Leeds Beckett University, an M.Sc. in Finance – Financial Sector Management from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, an MBA in Finance from the University of Leicester, and a B.Ed. in Social Sciences, specialising in Economics and Management, from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana.
Dr. Mukhtar Adam also holds a Diploma in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) from the esteemed Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Banking and Insurance from the Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance in the UK.
Dr. Mukhtar Adam has participated in several executive programmes at world-leading institutions, including the General Management Program (GMP) at Wharton Business School in the USA, Harvard Business School, INSEAD Business School in Paris, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ghana (ICAG), and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).
Prior to his current role as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Mukhtar Adam served as the bank’s Deputy CFO, leading the Financial Reporting, Tax Management and Strategic Planning Groups and supervising the Zenith Group’s entire financial reporting function. Before joining Zenith Bank in 2007, he honed his skills as a Senior Consultant in the Financial Services Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
His vast expertise spans numerous financial areas, from financial sector management and policy analysis to financial reporting and analysis, tax management, audit management, strategy development and execution, enterprise risk management, credit risk management, and financial advisory. He is also accomplished in capacity building and training. Dr. Mukhtar Adam is a prolific researcher with several professional and academic publications.
As part of its ongoing transformation from a training institute to a regulatory authority, the Director-General/CEO of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare (Dr) Abisoye Fagade, has embarked on a high-level courtesy visits to key government agencies.
These engagements aim to foster collaboration, enhance industry standards, and strengthen NIHOTOUR’s regulatory framework for the hospitality, travel, and tourism sector.
So far, Dr. Fagade has met with top officials, including Mr. Ayodele Subair, Executive Chairman of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS); Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); and Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Discussions focused on strategic partnerships to ensure compliance, professional certification, and improved service delivery within the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.
“Our vision is clear – to build a robust, well-regulated travel, hospitality, and tourism sector that meets global standards. This transition requires strong collaboration with key agencies to align our training, certification, and regulatory frameworks with international best practices,” said Dr. Abisoye Fagade.
With more agencies scheduled for engagement, NIHOTOUR remains committed to promoting excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s travel, hospitality, and tourism industry.
Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Uche Orji as an Independent Non-Executive Director of its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank Plc.
The Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, said the appointment, which takes effect from January 7, 2025, has been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“This appointment reflects our commitment to enhancing our governance practices and ensuring a diverse and experienced board”, Access Holdings said.
Orji is a renowned investment banking professional, information technology entrepreneur, and finance expert with three decades of professional and board experience. He is the Co-founder and Partner of Titangate Capital Management, an equity firm that invests in deep-tech, enterprise software, semi-conductors, hardware, and artificial intelligence companies.
Orji is the Founder and Director of Vitesse Africa Limited, an investment advisory firm focused on African energy, technology and infrastructure sectors.
He serves as an Executive Board member and investor in Ultrasafe AI, an artificial intelligence/IT development firm that maintains strategic collaborations with leading technology companies.
He also sits on the Board of Private Infrastructure Development Group, London, and chairs the Risk Committee.
Previously, Orji served as the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
He held positions as Managing Director and Senior Analyst at UBS Securities Limited New York and Managing Director and Head of European Technology/Semiconductor Equity Research at JP Morgan Securities, London.
He also served as Executive Director/Portfolio Manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, London. Earlier in his career, he was Acting Financial Controller at Diamond Bank Limited and an Audit Trainee at Arthur Andersen & Co.
He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman of the Bank, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), said: “Mr. Orji has been appointed based on his exceptionally rich professional, academic, and corporate board experience which will be invaluable to the Bank as we continue to pursue our strategic objectives.
“We are confident that his addition to the Board would further enrich the quality of our decision-making process, enabling us to deliver even greater value to our customers and stakeholders.
“His appointment has been made in accordance with the Bank’s internal policies and has been notified to all relevant regulatory authorities underscoring our commitment to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance.
“On behalf of the Board, Management and staff, I warmly welcome Mr. Orji to the Board and look forward to his contributions towards our goal of becoming one of the top five African banks in the shortest possible time.”
A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lt Gen. Jeremiah Useni (retd), is dead.
He passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 after a protracted illness.
His death was announced in a statement issued in Jos by Gyang Bere, the Director of Press and Public Affairs to Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang.
He described the of the former Minister and Quarter Master General of the Nigerian Army as a tremendous loss not only to his immediate family but also to the Nigerian Armed Forces, Plateau State, and the entire nation.
Highlighting the roles played by the late army general, Governor Mutfwang noted that he left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s security and political landscape with his tireless efforts to promote peace and security, especially in Northern Nigeria and Plateau State.
The governor prayed that god grants the family, plateau state, and the nation the strength and fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss, and also asked for God’s divine presence to comfort and provide solace in the days ahead.
