Ecobank Group has named Jubril Mobolaji Lawal the Managing Director designate of its Nigeria Operations.
Mr. Lawal was also named regional executive by the bank.
The nomination is contingent on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s confirmation, according to a statement released Monday.
The appointment comes ahead of Patrick Akinwuntan, the incumbent MD’s anticipated retirement. Mr. Akinwuntan will retire in January 2022, when he reaches retirement age, according to the bank.
“Mobolaji Lawal joins Ecobank having been a versatile senior banking executive and digital transformation specialist for over 28 years with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. He has deep involvement and experience in digital and retail banking, corporate and commercial banking, credit risk management and corporate finance,” the statement said.
“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 envisioned and implemented GTBank Plc’s retail and digital banking strategy to achieve industry-wide leadership over a ten-year period and he introduced new products and solutions that have helped to deepen payments and access to digital financial services in Nigeria.”
According to the bank, Mr. Mobolaji was selected and appointed as managing director designate following a competitive selection process that included both internal and external candidates.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Nigeria’s Obafemi Awolowo University, a Bachelor of Laws degree from Nigeria’s Law School, and an MBA from Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
He has also attended a number of executive management and banking-focused development programs at prestigious universities such as Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and the Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD).
Commenting on the appointment, Ade Ayeyemi, CEO, Ecobank Group said: “We welcome Mobolaji Lawal to the Ecobank Group and we stand 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. I wish Mobolaji the best and assure him of both my support and that of the entire Ecobank Group.”
Bola Adesola, the Chairman of the Board of Ecobank Nigeria said: “We look forward to working with Mobolaji and assure him of the full support of the Board, Management and all the staff of Ecobank Nigeria.
