Personality in Focus
Adeduntan Sustains Winning Streak, Pioneers Leadership Excellence in Banking
Since his appointment as MD/CEO of First Bank of Nigeria Limited in 2016, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan has completely transformed the financial institution and has made it attractive to every strata of the society. From an institution that used to be perceived as an old-generation bank, FirstBank is now a darling to all as it leverages latest digital tools to meet its customers’ needs. Also, under Adeduntan’s leadership, the 128-year old bank has made huge contributions to national development, thereby stimulating development, setting standards and motivating excellent output across sectors. Clearly, these contributions to national development were what endeared Adeduntan to President Muhammadu Buhari who recently saluted him on his recognition by Cranfield University, UK, one of the most prestigious citadels of learning in Europe. Adeduntan will on Wednesday, June 22, be conferred with Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa and he would be delivering an address to the graduating class of the university. This feat, the president in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina, described as, “another testament to the fact that Nigeria is blessed with the brightest and the best in all areas of human endeavor.” Buhari lauded Adeduntan for being a role model to the younger generation, showing that hard work pays, and with resourcefulness and doggedness, great heights are achievable.
Adeduntan holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Ibadan, Master’s in Business Administration from Cranfield University, and is Fellow of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), as well as Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
The president sent best wishes to Adeduntan and family as he hoisted Nigeria’s flag proudly to receive an honor Cranfield University said was in recognition of his outstanding contribution to business. Incidentally, Buhari’s commendation came on the day the bank successfully held its AGM which showed a stellar performance in its financials, a transformational result that put the bank on course to reclaiming its leadership position of the financial sector.
Adeduntan has a distinguished career in finance having held senior positions at Citibank Nigeria, KPMG and Arthur Andersen Nigeria. He studied at Cranfield University as a British Chevening Scholar, achieving an MBA in 2005.
Commenting on the honour by Cranfield University, the FirstBank boss said: “I am extremely humbled and most grateful to the university for this recognition. My time at Cranfield served as a catalyst for my professional and personal development propelling me to the leadership position I occupy today.
“I am a firm believer in talent management, being vital to further accelerate Africa’s growth to enable it to benefit from its demographic dividend and the opportunities therein. I look forward to sharing my experiences with the students on the universal applicability of the skills the Cranfield MBA provides to positively impact the world.”
On his part, the Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University, Professor Karen Holford CBE FREng also congratulated Adeduntan, saying: “It is an honour to welcome Dr Adeduntan back to Cranfield to recognise all his professional achievements in this way. His own experience at Cranfield University has propelled his career forward and this serves as a true inspiration for our graduates both this year and in the future.”
Indeed, Adeduntan is an accomplished professional with distinctive international and domestic experience in commercial and investment banking, development finance, audit, and consulting; a philanthropist and leader with keen interest in providing platforms for the development of other young leaders.
The FirstBank Group, the commercial banking arm of FBN Holdings Plc, which he heads is made up of First Bank of Nigeria and subsidiaries including FBNBank UK, FBNBank DRC, FBNBank Ghana, FBNBank Senegal, FBNBank Guinea, FBNBank Gambia, FBNBank Sierra Leone and First Pension Custodian as well as Representative Offices in France and China.
Adeduntan is overseeing one of the most extensive transformation programmes in sub-Saharan African financial services industry, with the goal to reposition FirstBank Group to market pre-eminence.
He is leading FirstBank Group on the journey to win the most significant emerging business opportunities in the financial services industry through the development and execution of a digital-led strategy that has established FirstBank as the dominant player in digital banking.
FirstBank Group’s transformation programme, under the leadership of Adeduntan has enabled the bank to grow customer accounts from about 10 million in 2015 to over 36 million (including digital wallets), become the second largest issuer of cards in Africa with over 11.8 million issued cards, onboard over 18.6 million active customers on FirstBank’s digital banking platforms, and initiate and grow the most expansive bank-led Agent Banking Network in Africa with over 170,000 agents.
His career in banking and finance, spanning almost three decades, has earned him various recognitions and awards including Forbes Best of Africa – Outstanding Leader in Africa, Distinguished Alumnus Award by both the Cranfield University’s School of Management and the University of Ibadan, African Banking Personality of the Year, African Banker of the Year Award; Banking Icon of the Decade by the Sun Newspapers and induction into the African Leadership Magazine (ALM) Hall of Fame, Honorary Citizenship of the State of Georgia and Congressional Commendation Award from the Georgia Senate – USA, Bank CEO of the Year by the AES Excellence Club and several other awards.
He has attended various executive and leadership programmes at Harvard Business School (USA), Wharton School (USA), London Business School (UK), IESE (Spain), University of Oxford (UK), University of Cambridge (UK), CEIBS (China) and INSEAD (France). He is a fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
Adeduntan’s leadership drive also reflected in First Bank Nigeria Limited’s recently released full year 2021 financial statement. The results clearly showed the strength and resilience of the iconic African elephant as well as the financial institution’s leadership in the industry. The impressive results were a reflection of the robust strength and growth of the iconic African elephant, showing that the bank has taken its rightful position among the industry leaders.
In addition, it showed the level of work the current board, management and staff of the bank have put in to turn the tide in the 128 years old institution with entrenched corporate governance.
The full year 2021 performance by the bank represented a shift in the financial institution’s performance trajectory and was made possible through its undeterred commitment in pursuing its transformational agenda; cutting across customer-led innovation, building a digitalised bank, culture change, reinventing the bank’s workplace and safeguarding its assets for the digital age.
For the first time, FirstBank Group posted the best result in more than a decade history of the bank by crossing the N100 billion profit line. Specifically, in the full year 2021 financial statement, the FirstBank Group reported a 73.9 per cent growth in its profit after tax to N117.8 billion, as against the N67.8 billion recorded as of December 2020, just as its profit before tax stood at N130.9 billion, which was a significant rise by 77.9 per cent year-on-year, as against the N73.6 billion it was as of December 2020.
FirstBank’s gross earnings also increased by 30.3 per cent to N716.8 billion in 2021, up from N550.3 billion it was as of December 2020. Also, it recorded non-interest income of N342.2 billion in the year under review, which was 106.4 per cent higher than the N165.8 billion recorded as of December 2020. As a result of years of strategic restructuring of its balance sheet and operations, its gross earnings also moved northwards by 30.3 per cent, its total assets was up 15.9 per cent to N8.5 trillion as of the end of 2021, as against the N7.4 trillion recorded the previous year, just as its customer deposits also climbed by 19.5 per cent to N5.6 trillion, up from the N4.7 trillion recorded the previous year. The bank’s customer loans and advances also improved by 28 per cent to N2.8 trillion in the year under review, up from N2.2 trillion the previous year.
FirstBank has shown innovation, resilience and commitment to growth by significantly reducing its non-performing loans (NPL) from 25% in 2016 to an acceptable level of 6.1% in 2021.
To demonstrate that the bank’s performance in 2021 was not a fluke, the Bank equally performed excellently well in Q1 2022. FirstBank recorded 32% increase in gross earnings to N180bn in Q1’22 from N136.6bn in Q1’21. Profit after tax was up 108% to N32.4 billion (Q1’22) relative to N15.6 billion (Q1’21). This impressive performance is hinged on robust loan portfolio, effective cost structure and increased digital services.FirstBank recorded the highest decline in its cost-to-income ratio in Q1 2022, dropping from 79.5% recorded in Q1 2021 to 67.03% amongst tier-1 Banks in the review period.
With FirstBank under Adeduntan, the safety of customers and the security of their transactions come first. This has ensured the bank keeps the trust of Nigerians gained over the many years of its enduring legacy of safety and security.
The bank also delivers unique and bespoke financial services solutions across all customer segments underpinned by its commitment to innovation and the customer experience. It also leverages its strong investment banking capabilities to support clients in defining and executing innovative debt solutions as well as offer strategic advice at the highest level, arrange tailor-made financing structures, manage risk and ultimately help clients to realise their aspirations
Since its establishment in 1894, FirstBank has consistently built relationships with customers focusing on the fundamentals of good corporate governance, strong liquidity, optimised risk management and leadership.
Over the years, the bank has led the financing of private investment in infrastructure development in the Nigerian economy by playing key roles in the federal government’s privatisation and commercialisation schemes. With its global reach, FirstBank provides prospective investors wishing to explore the vast business opportunities that are available in Nigeria, an internationally competitive world-class brand and a credible financial partner. It is expected that the leadership excellence and recognitions accorded to Adeduntan would continue to reflect positively on the FirstBank brand and fundamentals of the bank so that the elephant will continue to stand ‘gidigba.’
Culled from ThisDay
Personality in Focus
Commander Adesoji Speaks on Forest Guard’s Relevance to Nigeria’s Security Strategy
Across Nigeria’s vast forest belts, ungoverned spaces have increasingly become theatres for violent crime, farmer–herder conflicts, illegal grazing, banditry, arms movement, and environmental crimes. These forests are not isolated wildernesses; they are living corridors linking farms, rural settlements, trade routes, sacred sites, and border communities. As conventional security agencies face mounting pressure, Forest Guards are emerging as a critical but often under-examined layer of Nigeria’s internal security architecture, tasked with early warning, terrain control, community intelligence, and conflict prevention in spaces where insecurity often incubates unseen, National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP can report.
Forest Guards operate closest to these fault lines. Their effectiveness, however, depends less on force and more on legitimacy. As was repeatedly emphasised at a recent national training in Osun State, forest security succeeds only when authority is exercised lawfully, professionally, and with the consent of the communities that live and work around forest spaces. Without this foundation, security operations risk collapsing into resistance, intelligence failure, and avoidable violence.
It was against this backdrop that the National Forest Guard Training Camp (“Forest Camp”) in Ila-Orangun, Osun State, hosted a set of strategic lectures in January 2026 aimed at redefining how forest security should be practiced in Nigeria. The sessions brought together recruits, rank-and-file operatives, and ward and sector formations from across the country to interrogate a central operational question: how can Forest Guards enforce the law effectively without becoming a source of fear in already vulnerable rural spaces?
The answer, according to the training, lies in a unified doctrine that places lawful authority, disciplined conduct, and community legitimacy at the heart of forest operations.
Delivered in an intensive 2–3 hour integrated format combining classroom instruction, guided discussion, and field-based application, the lectures focused on Ethics and Professional Conduct in Forest Security Operations and Community Engagement, Conflict Resolution, and Trust-Building in Contemporary Forest Policing.
Ethics as Law, Not Preference
Delivering the lectures, the Commander of the Enugu State Forest Guard (ESFG), Dr. Akinbayo O. Olasoji, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rtd.), framed ethics as a legal obligation rather than a personal choice. He stressed that forest security authority is derived entirely from law and governance frameworks, not from uniforms, weapons, or discretion.
“Ethics in forest security is not a personal value judgment or discretionary behaviour,” he told participants. “It is a binding statutory obligation.”
He anchored this position in existing legal instruments guiding Forest Guard operations, including the Enugu State Forest Guard Law, 2020, the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Enugu State Prohibition of Open Grazing and Regulation of Cattle Ranching Law, 2021, the Firearms Act, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, and the Evidence Act, 2011, alongside public service rules and recognised law-enforcement ethics standards. Reinforcing a core operational doctrine of the ESFG, he declared: “Authority exists only within the law.”
BUILDING SECURITY THROUGH TRUST, NOT FEAR
Beyond legality, the lectures placed strong emphasis on community legitimacy as the foundation of effective forest security. Dr. Olasoji reminded operatives that forests are not empty spaces, but environments connected to daily human activity and livelihoods.
“Forests are not isolated zones,” he explained. “They are linked to farms, settlements, markets, footpaths, and sacred sites. That reality makes community partnership a decisive operational factor.”
According to him, the consequences of poor community engagement are immediate and severe. He warned that mistrust leads to intelligence breakdowns, delayed early warning, increased hostility toward operatives, and the escalation of minor disputes into violent confrontations, outcomes that ultimately endanger officers themselves.
In contrast, he argued, trust transforms communities into security partners. As he put it:
“Community engagement is not weakness; it is operational strength. Trust is a force multiplier. When you win the community, you win the forest.”
NON-NEGOTIABLE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
The sessions translated ethical principles into concrete operational standards applicable to patrols, checkpoints, arrest support, intelligence handling, and inter-agency cooperation. Participants were reminded that public confidence and mission success rise or fall with officer conduct.
Among the non-negotiable standards reinforced were universal human-rights compliance, lawful and proportionate use of force, zero tolerance for torture, brutality, corruption, extortion, or record falsification, strict confidentiality of operational information and informant protection, and political neutrality.
Human-rights compliance, Dr. Olasoji stressed, “applies to everyone, always,” while the use of force must satisfy “lawfulness, necessity, and proportionality.”
Mandatory reporting of misconduct, supported by whistle-protection safeguards, was also emphasised as an institutional duty rather than an individual risk.
DECISION-MAKING UNDER PRESSURE
To strengthen field judgment, the lectures adopted a practical ethical decision model consistent with international enforcement doctrine: L-N-P-A — Legality, Necessity, Proportionality, Accountability.
Operatives were trained to ask four questions before acting: Is it lawful? Is it genuinely required? Is it the minimum reasonable response? Can it be defended openly, in writing, and before lawful authority?
The guiding rule, as repeatedly emphasised, was uncompromising:
“If you cannot defend it, don’t do it.”
EARLY WARNING AND CONFLICT PREVENTION
A major focus of the engagement lecture was early warning and early response. Participants were trained to identify indicators such as rumour patterns, unusual movement along forest corridors, resource-pressure signals linked to farmer–herder tensions, and enforcement-related triggers capable of igniting rapid conflict.
Forest Guards, Dr. Olasoji explained, are not merely enforcers but stabilisers.
“Forest Guards are peace managers,” he noted, “but they must operate strictly within legal limits.”
A standard dispute-management workflow was reinforced: Assess, Stabilise, Separate, Dialogue, Decide (Enforce or Refer), Document, Report, and Follow-up, with clear thresholds for referral to the Police, DSS, courts, and civil authorities.
HIGH-SENSITIVITY ENFORCEMENT: OPEN GRAZING
Given the sensitivity of open-grazing enforcement nationwide, the lectures stressed that operations must remain calm, law-based, non-discriminatory, and free of harassment, extortion, ethnic profiling, or improper impoundment. Ethical professionalism, participants were told, is central to preventing rural instability and escalation in mixed-use forest zones.
TRAINING, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
The sessions employed scenario-based learning, decision drills, and misconduct case studies to ensure practical understanding. Ethics and community-engagement competence were presented as mandatory core requirements, forming part of refresher training and promotion criteria, with completion formally recorded in personnel files.
Responsibility for trust-building was distributed across the command structure, from state and zonal commands to sector, ward, and frontline formations, embedding accountability into institutional culture.
A BROADER NATIONAL LESSON
In one of the most quoted moments of the lectures, Dr. Olasoji told participants:
“A Forest Guard is a trust-bearer, not a power-holder. Uniform and equipment do not create authority; character does. Without integrity, authority collapses.”
Security analysts say the Ila-Orangun engagement underscores a broader national lesson: that sustainable forest security in Nigeria depends less on coercion and more on professionalism, legality, and partnership with communities.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with insecurity across rural and forested regions, the lessons from Ila-Orangun point to a clear conclusion—when Forest Guards operate within the law and with the people, forests shift from being security liabilities to strategic assets in national security management.
Personality in Focus
Nigeria Mourns As Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, Who Sheltered Multiple Christians, Dies at 90
By Eric Elezuo
Nigerians are mourning celebrated Muslim cleric, Imam Abdullahi Abubakar, who is reputed for sheltering 262 Christians during the 2018 sectarian attacks in Plateau State.
Abubakar, who held the post of the Chief Imam of Nghar village in the Barkin Ladi local government area of the state, passed away after a brief illness at the age of 92
Confirming his death, one of his sons, Saleh Abubakar, said his father died on Thursday night at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos, 10 days after he was admitted.
Imam Abubakar, who was also a herder, left behind 19 children including 12 boys and 7 girls.
The late Islamic cleric rose to prominence following his extraordinary act of courage on June 23, 2018, when armed assailants attacked several communities in Barkin Ladi LGA, leaving dozens dead.
Following the announcement of his death, Nigerians from all walks of life including Christians, have risen stoutly to eulogise his life and times, crediting greatness, humanity and purposeful living to the nonagenarian.
Leading the long list of mourners, President Bola Tinubu expressed sorrow over the death of the Chief Imam of Nghar village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State just as Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, have also expressed sadness over his death, describing him as a true hero of humanity.
Tinubu, in a condolence message shared on X by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the cleric as an extraordinary religious leader whose life was a powerful testament to faith, courage, and the sanctity of human life.
“At such a time when tribal and religious tendencies seemed to overwhelm reason, Imam Abubakar stood firmly on the side of peace, benevolence, and conscience,” the President said.
He noted that despite the grave danger to his own life, the cleric chose compassion over division and love over hatred.
“Mindless of the enormous risk to his own life, the noble cleric chose humanity over division, love as opposed to hatred, and embrace rather than rejection. His heroic feat underlines the essence of true faith, resonating louder than sermons in a salient message to the world at large,” Tinubu added.
Tinubu urged religious and community leaders across the country to emulate the late Imam’s example by promoting tolerance, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.
Atiku, in his message which was also shared on X, said the cleric lived a life that transcended religious divides and affirmed our shared humanity. The former vice president urged Nigerians, particularly religious leaders, to recommit to the ideals the late cleric embodied in inter-faith harmony, mutual respect, and an unwavering defence of the sanctity of every human life.
On his part, Obi described the late Imam as a beacon of light, “reminding us that the core of Islam is peace and the protection of the vulnerable.” He called on Nigerians to embrace love, unity, and peaceful coexistence in honour of the late Islamic cleric, adding that what Imam Abubakar did was exactly the expectations of citizens from their leaders; protect life and property.
In a condolence message, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, said Imam Abubakar’s commitment to interfaith harmony and protection of the vulnerable earned him the respect of Nigerians and the global community.
Mutfwang added that Abubakar’s passing “has left a significant void in Barkin Ladi,” urging residents to uphold the values of compassion, tolerance, and unity that he embodied.
“On behalf of my family, the government, and the people of Plateau State, I extend my deepest condolences to the family and all those mourning the loss,” the governor said. “May Almighty God grant them comfort and strength to bear this painful loss.”
Also expressing heartfelt sympathies, Chairman of the Plateau State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Yusuf Babayo, described the death of Imam Abdullahi as painful and a significant loss to the Muslim Ummah.
“It is difficult to get a leader like Imam Abdullahi. He was an elder statesman whose valuable contribution to peace in the state will be greatly missed,” Babayo said.
“He did not discriminate and treated everybody as his own, irrespective of religious differences. The vacuum created by his death cannot be filled by anyone in the state.”
In his reaction on behalf of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Plateau State Secretary Rev. Simon Julius, described the late Imam as a rare figure whose courage and legacy transcended religious boundaries.
“In every religion, there are good and bad. For us, the late Imam will be remembered for his courage and for saving human lives,” Rev. Julius said. He also sympathised with the Muslim Ummah over the loss and urged individuals to emulate the lifestyle of Imam Abdullahi for the betterment of Plateau State and Nigeria at large.
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) Plateau State chapter also expressed shock at his passing, while submitting to the will of Allah SWT. In a statement signed by its Secretary, Dr. Salim Musa Umar, JNI described the late Imam as an exceptional leader who demonstrated compassion during a trying period for his community.
“He was credited with hiding over 200 Christians in his mosque during one of the most devastating ethno-religious conflicts in Plateau State, the statement read.
“On behalf of the chairman and Emir of Wase, JNI extends its condolences to his family, Plateau State, and Nigeria. No doubt, we have lost a rare gem. Humanity will never forget his sacrifices, and history will remember him positively.”
Late Imam Abubakar Abdullahi has since been buried in Nghar village, Barkin Ladi LGA, the Jumma’at Prayer in his honour.
IMAM ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR IN BRIEF
The Imam was able to save the lives of 262 people, predominantly Christians from the Birom tribe, by sheltering them in his mosque as attackers roamed the villages.
In July 2019, Imam Abdullahi Abubakar received the International Religious Freedom Award from the United States government, which is granted to supporters of religious freedom, together with four other religious leaders from Sudan, Iraq, Brazil, and Cyprus.
In August 2019, President Buhari authorized the inclusion of Imam Abdullahi Abubakar in the membership of the national Ulama committee and was part of an 80-man Ulama committee charged with the responsibility of educating Nigerian pilgrims in Mina during the 2019 Hajj.
Imam Abubakar received many other awards during his lifetime, including US International Religious Freedom Award (2019), Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) and an Award of Excellence.
He died on January 15, 2026 after a brief illness.
Badagry, a historic coastal town renowned for its rich cultural heritage, was on Monday enveloped in a sombre and brooding mood following the passing of its 89-year-old monarch, De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi I, the Akran of Badagry.
The revered monarch, who reigned for 48 years, was a towering figure in the history and development of the ancient coastal town.
He was a journalist before ascending the throne of his forefathers on April 23, 1977.
His long reign was marked by peace, unity and steady community development across Badagry and its environs.
As Permanent Vice-Chairman of the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs, his counsel and leadership carried significant influence within traditional institutions across the State.
He was widely respected as a devoted custodian of Ogu culture and tradition, as well as a passionate advocate for the welfare of his people.
From the early hours of Monday, an unusual calm descended on the ancient kingdom as residents struggled to come to terms with the loss of their traditional ruler.
Markets that normally buzz with activities witnessed low patronage, while groups of residents gathered sparsely in streets and compounds, exchanging restrained conversations.
At the Akran’s palace, it was learnt that the atmosphere was pensive as chiefs and community leaders’ showed grief.
There were restrictions on vehicular movements around the palace vicinity with some sections of the road leading to the place barricaded. Commuters were said to be directed to take alternative routes.
Sources said the traditional worshippers may have started observing rites necessitated by the demise of the monarch. Security and palace officials were seen restricting movement in the immediate vicinity.
Residents said the rites would affect social and commercial activities around the palace and may force many residents especially those working outside Badagry to return home early.
Many residents described the late Akran as a symbol of unity, stability and cultural pride for Badagry. They recalled his role in preserving the town’s customs and mediating communal disputes, while youths spoke of a monarch who encouraged peace and respect for tradition amid modern challenges.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), some sons and daughters of the late king were at the palace, with some seen openly weeping.
A traditional chief, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Akran passed on at about 1:30 am, but confirmation of his death was made at about 5:30 am.
“The Chairman of Badagry Local Government Area, Babatunde Hunpe, has been informed, and we hope he will relay the information to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for an official announcement.
“That is why many of us are seated here at the palace to receive visitors. The Akran has gone to rest with his great ancestors,” he said.
