Adewale, Union Bank Executive Director Retires

Union Bank of Nigeria (Union Bank) has announced the retirement of Mrs. Oyinkan Adewale, an Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the bank since 2012.

The bank disclosed this in a statement at the weekend.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Emeka Emuwa, said the board, management and staff of Union Bank were very grateful for the transformational work Adewale did in rebuilding the bank’s finance function to effectively support its business objectives. “Union Bank has benefitted immensely from her experience and expertise, and her contributions have helped position the Bank for the future,” he said.

Adewale, a veteran banker with 30 years of experience, joined Union Bank following its acquisition by the private equity investor consortium, United Global Partners Limited in 2012.

As CFO, she began the foundational work that led to developing and executing Union bank’s strategic objectives and transformation. 

Speaking on her retirement, Adewale said: “I am extremely proud to have been a part of Union Bank’s phenomenal turnaround over the past six years.

“The challenge of leading a key piece of the transformation of this storied 100-year old institution has been one of the highlights of my career and I am confident that the bank is on solid footing as it enters into a new century of doing business in Nigeria.”

Prior to joining Union Bank, Adewale kicked off her banking career with Citibank, where she rose to the position of Executive Director and CFO for West Africa.

She went on to co-found SIAO, a leading indigenous accounting firm, and later became the pioneer Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer for Renaissance Capital in Nigeria.

She also held other senior management roles including Central Bank of Nigeria appointed Executive Director/CFO at Oceanic Bank and Group Head of MIS at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated.

“In line with Union Bank’s succession plan, Joe Mbulu, who was the Bank’s Transformation Director and Finance Business Manager, will succeed her as CFO,” the bank explained.

Union Honours SAHCOL Chairman

The Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has honoured the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, SAHCOL, Dr. Taiwo Olayinka Afolabi with the ‘NUATE Philanthropic Award.’

 The award was presented to him at the Union Quadrennial National Delegates Conference and Awards Ceremony, held in Delta State recently.

The event had in attendance, eminent Nigerians, Labour and Chief Executive Officers in Private and Public Sector, and delegates to the conference.

According to NUATE,  Afolabi is an internationally renowned and labour friendly entrepreneur, hence his choice as the recipient of the award, to recognise his “immense contribution to the growth and development of transportation in Nigeria.”

Reacting to the award, the Managing Director/CEO of SAHCOL, Basil Agboarumi, expressed appreciation to the leadership and membership of NUATE for deeming it fit to pick Afolabi for the award, stating that he’s deeply honoured to receive the award.

Commenting on the Conference theme, ‘Public Private Partnership in Aviation, with Perspectives from three key stakeholders; investor, Labour, and Management,” Afolabi Stated that today’s workplace is in continuous need of partnership of all stakeholders, reiterating that he has always partnered with Labour to create industrial peace and harmony for the purpose of business growth and development, hence will remain employees-centric in all business dealings.

He promised to continue to make investments in Nigeria, particularly in the aviation industry, such as would help produce the great Nigeria of our dream.

Afolabi, is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Skyway Aviation handling company Limited.

He is also the Group Executive Vice Chairman of the Sifax Group of Companies and currently the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Djibouti. He is a seasoned businessman, an erudite maritime consultant.

As a result of his outstanding meritorious virtues and contribution towards the development of Nigerian economy, he was conferred with the prestigious honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).

SAHCOL’s impact in the Nigerian aviation ground handling sector since it was privatised and handed over to the SIFAX Group in 2009 is evidenced by its array of awards and recognitions received from 2009 till date in recognition of the Company’s strides and innovation in building a brand in line with global standards.

AIB Boss Elected Royal Aeronautical Society Fellow

The Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Akin Olateru, has been elected a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) London; the longest established independent and impartial professional body in the world with members from all the aerospace disciplines.

His election on June 5, 2018, was contained in a letter dated July 5, 2018 and signed by RAeS President, Rear Admiral Simon Henley and the Chief Executive, Simon Luxmoore.

Olateru, is one of the few Africans to make up the 3,201 persons from across the globe that have been elected Fellow in the 152 years of RAeS’ existence.

Established in 1866 and headquartered in London, the United Kingdom, the group is the world’s most prestigious aviation society; the only aviation professional body dedicated to the aerospace community (military and civil) and seeks to further the advancement of aeronautical art, science and engineering around the world.

Since its creation, the body has admitted only 24,300 members and almost 300 corporate partners around the globe, reflecting its high and uncompromising operational standards and untainted integrity in its quest to remain at the forefront of developments in aerospace. It seeks to promote the highest professional standards in all aerospace disciplines, provide specialist information & act as a central forum for the exchange of ideas, while playing a leading role in influencing opinion on aerospace matters.

The Queen of England is the patron of the group.

In further recognition of his expertise and aptitude, Olateru has also been elected as a member of Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs), United Kingdom – an international affair think-tank and world-leading policy institute with a mission to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world.

The institute analyses and promotes the understanding of major international issues and current affairs.

It is ranked as one of the most influential think-tanks in the world.

In the University of Pennsylvania’s rankings (announced in January 2017) for their ‘Global Go To Think Tanks Report,’ the Chatham House was ranked the think tank of the year, and the second most influential in the world after the Brookings Institution, and the world’s most influential non-U.S. think tank.

In November 2016, Chatham House was also named Prospect magazine’s Think-Tank of the Year, as well as the winner in the UK categories for International Affairs and Energy and Environment.

Founded in 1920, Chatham House has 3,300 members based in over 75 countries. Its members and subscribers are drawn from the worlds of business, diplomacy, academia, politics, the media and civil society, and large numbers of students.

Olateru’s election into Fellowship of the RAeS, came after the Society conducted very strict and rigorous due diligence bordering on records of his personal integrity, good conduct, and outstanding contributions to the aviation industry; so also, with his election into Chatham House. These are global testimonials and recognition of his achievements and professionalism that clearly highlight his zest to grow and strengthen the aviation sector.

His experience and pedigree acquired in more than 30 years of versatile work exposure, crisscross’s the Aviation Industry in the UK, Europe and Nigeria, at hands-on operational, management and top executive levels.

A globally recognised resourceful industry professional with vast Airline and Air Transport management expertise, he is an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer with Nigerian, UK and USA licenses: and began his career in engineering maintenance with Pan African Airlines and the Nigerian Police Air Wing from where he left Nigeria for further studies abroad.

Ibrahim Appointed into Global Information and Democracy Commission

A Nigerian, Professor Hauwa Ibrahim has been appointed into the Paris-based Global Information and Democracy Commission.

 According to a report by Arnaud Froger, the Head of the African Desk, Reporters Without Borders, the Global Information and Democracy Commission, which is co-chaired by Nobel Peace Laureate, Shirin Ebadi and Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General, Christophe Deloire, has Nobel Economics Laureates Joseph Stiglitz; Amartya Sen, Peruvian Novelist and Nobel Literature Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa as members.  

 Other members of the Commission include, Mr. Abdou Diouf, former President of the Republic of Senegal; Francis Fukuyama, Political Scientist and Political Economist, Professor at Stanford University, USA; Marina Walker, Journalist and Deputy Director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, USA; Mr. Can Dündar, Journalist, Columnist and Documentary Filmmaker and former Editor-in-Chief of the Centre-left independent newspaper Cumhuriyet, Turkey; Maria Ressa, Journalist and CEO of the Rappler news website in Philippines among other  intellectuals and leading journalists.

 In a letter by the co-chair, Shirin Ebadi, the independent panel was being created to address the political control of information in a globalised public space, the influence of private interests, and the growing power of corporate actors who escape democratic control and the undermining of quality journalism.  

 “The Declaration’s function will be to state principles, define objectives for decision-makers and propose forms of governance,” the mission statement by the co-chair said.

It must “constitute a point of reference that will mobilise all those who are committed to defending a free and pluralistic public space, which is essential for democracy.”

 Ebadi said the initiative’s ultimate goal was to garner international commitment by governments, private-sector companies, civil society representatives and the leaders of several democratic countries that would lead to a declaration and International Pledge on Information and Democracy.

Ibrahim has been a Visiting Professor at Saint Louis University School of Law and Stonehill College.

She is a World Fellow at Yale University, a Radcliffe fellow, and a fellow at both the Human Rights Program and the Islamic Legal Studies Program at Harvard University, USA.

Ibrahim, who hails from Bauchi State, is a Human Rights Lawyer and 2005 Laureate of the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize (Nigeria).

CoopEast Wins Financial Mobile, Cloud Services Award

CoopEast has emerged the “Best Cooperatives Financial Mobile and Cloud Services 2018,” at the recently concluded Titan of Tech Leadership and Award ceremonies, which held in Lagos.

The award to Shell East Staff Investment Cooperative Society Ltd (CoopEast), Port Harcourt was conferred in recognition and appreciation of her pioneering efforts, dedication, commitment, and excellent service for the actualisation and deployment of perhaps, the first Cloud-based digital financial solutions online within the Cooperative Society Financial Solution Ecosystem in Nigeria– a feat that was delivered over 10 years ago.

Today, the New Face of CoopEast Cooperative Financials is packaged as Mobile Solutions as services to all its customers.

The Financial Secretary of CoopEast, Mr. Adeyemi Opeyemi, who received the award plaque from the former EVC of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe said: “As a world class technology-driven financial services with reputation for functionality and quality, CoopEast management and team are therefore, very happy to have attained the lofty heights in the delivery of Cloud-based Financial Mobile services to enhanced quality reassurance and commitment to our numerous end-Users and Customers”.

Vice President, of CoopEast, Mr. Amos Martins, said with the award, CoopEast has become the centre of gravity of trustworthy and quality financial services delivery.