After Three Terms, Adesola Adeduntan Steps Down as First Bank CEO

Kayode Tokede

Kayode Tokede
The Managing Director of First Bank Nigeria Limited, Dr. Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, has resigned from the bank after leading the institution for three terms.
In a letter seen by THISDAY, yesterday, which was addressed to the Chairman of First Bank, Mr. Tunde Hassan-Odukale, titled, ‘Notice of Retirement,’ the bank CEO whose tenure ought to elapse on December 31, 2024, voluntarily decided to step down. He would commence his pre-retirement leave from today.

Adeduntan, who was appointed CEO of the bank on January 1, 2016, also stated in his resignation letter that he was leaving to pursue other interests.
THISDAY also learnt that the boards of FBN Holdings Plc, the parent company of First Bank and that of the bank respectively accepted the resignation and thanked the outgoing CEO for his service to the financial institution.

The letter read: “As you are aware, my contract would be expiring on 31 December, 2024, after which I would no longer be eligible for employment within the bank having served as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank for a record time of nine years.

“During this period the bank and its subsidiaries has undergone significant changes and broken new grounds. We have repositioned the institution as an enviable financial giant in Africa. I have however decided to proceed on retirement with effect from 20 April, 2024, to pursue other interests.

“I am eternally grateful to the board of directors of FirstBank and FBN Holdings Plc for the support that I received from them during my stewardship. I wish our iconic institution continue success and progress as we move into the next phase of its evolution. Warm regards.”

The bank chief who was retired in 2021, by the then board of the financial institution, was reinstated few days after by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Since his appointment as MD/CEO, Adeduntan has contributed significantly towards the transformation of the financial institution and made it attractive to every strata of the society. From an institution that used to be perceived as an old-generation bank, FirstBank’s perception has improved significantly.

His career in banking and finance spanning more than three decades has earned him various recognitions and awards. He holds a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa and an MBA from Cranfield University, United Kingdom which he attended as a Chevening Scholar, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) awarded by the University of Ibadan. 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 the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).