Managing Director / Chief Executive
Abubakar A. Bello
— Managing Director / Chief Executive
Abba Bello has over 30 years’ experience in banking, where he has held senior management positions in corporate banking, regional and commercial banking, and public sector banking in more than a decade. Abba also had a brief stint in auditing.
Until his appointment as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Export-Import Bank in April 2017, he was Executive Director, Unity Bank Plc, in charge of Corporate Banking, Agriculture and North Directorate.
Abba has cognate experience in international banking. He was the pioneer Managing Director/CEO of United Bank for Africa Plc’s subsidiaries in the Republic of Chad and Zambia for several years.
Abba has attended several courses in Nigeria and abroad in leadership, advanced management, and executive management. He is a member of Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria, a Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration, and a member of the Institute of Directors. He is an Alumnus of the Advanced Management Programme of the Havard Business School, USA.
Executive Director, Business Development
Hon. Stella Okotete
— Executive Director (Business Development)
Hon. Stella Okotete possesses significant experience in public policy design and implementation, public-private partnership management, international development and general administration.
A graduate of the Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, from where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy, Stella also holds a Diploma in Law from the Rivers State College of Arts and Sciences.
Until her appointment as Executive Director, Business Development, Stella had a rich mix of professional experience in both the public and private sectors. In 2015, she founded and led a start-up company where she was responsible for providing local and international clients with expert advice, scalable industrial solutions, and opportunities to utilise turnkey solutions for various industrial needs and requirements.
Between 2011 and 2015, she served as the Special Assistant and Adviser to the Executive Governor of Delta State on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) where she provided leadership in establishing and executing programmes with agency groups to ensure that the goals as well as targets of the United Nations Millennium Declaration were met. In this regard, she championed the Review and effective management of the Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) business policy to tackle poverty and create employment in line with MDGs mandate. She also supported the M&E team of the State’s CCT Scheme and Social Development Policy that aided the growth and expansion of business clusters in the state.
Prior to leading the Delta State MDGs, Stella had a brief stint in politics, having served as an elected Councillor in Ughelli North Local Government Area, a position that helped sharpen her understanding of the socio-economic needs of neglected communities. She was able to deploy this knowledge to ensure that neglected communities in the state were positively impacted by the state’s MDGs strategic intervention programmes.
Stella is the Co Founder E’Girls Right Foundation and an alumnus of Harvard Kennedy School certificate program for Emerging Leaders as well as the Lagos Business School’s Enterprise Development Centre program in Entrepreneurial Management. She is keenly involved in volunteer work and has worked with Internally Displaced Persons at IDP Camps in Ughelli, Maiduguri and Abuja.
Executive Director, Corporate Services
Mr. Ibrahim K Gaga
— Executive Director, Corporate Services
Mr. Ibrahim Khalil Gaga graduated from the Bayero University, Kano with an LLB Degree in Law and BL from the prestigious Nigerian Law School. He obtained his Master of Laws from the Lagos State University Ojo, Lagos in 2002 and a postgraduate Diploma in Management from the National Open University and also currently studying for his PHD in Leadership and Strategic studies at the Nigeria Defense Academy.
Over the last 2 decades, he has obtained a wide range of experience ranging from private legal practice and the Banking sector with a brief stint in a law firm, Ikiebe & Co.in Lagos. His work experience spans through Liberty Bank Plc, Pacific Bank Limited, MBC International Bank Limited, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, ASO Savings & Loans Plc with expertise in Litigation, Recovery, security documentation, Risk Administration and Company Secretarial Practice.
He was involved in the documentation for the first Independent Power Project between Lagos State/ Island Power Limited/Fidelity Bank Plc, the First Canning Industry in West Africa located at Agbara Ogun State for GZ Industries Limited/Fidelity Bank Plc, for the Legal Documentation in the Syndication of N10 Billion Food Concepts (Owners of Chicken Republic). Syndication facility for Legal documentation in the Syndication for $ 1.2 Billion MTN Nigeria Syndication facility, and Legal Documentation in the Syndication for $ 650 Million and N 8.2 Billion Etisalat Nigeria Syndication facility.
At ASO Savings and Loans Plc. Ibrahim was involved in various recoveries of Assets and Cash of over N3 Billion, Debt for Assets Swap of over N2.5 billion. He also headed the Legal Team to conduct the Legal Due Diligence in the acquisition of Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc by ASO Savings and loans Plc. He was also involved in setting up Countrywide Housing Company Limited for the Provision of Mass Housing in Nigeria under a Public Private Partnership.
Mr. Gaga has attended several courses which includes inter alia, on Housing Finance in Sub- Saharan Africa organized by the University of Cape town in South Africa, Project Finance Master Class by Jeff’ & O’brien, Nigeria Mortgage Refinancing (NMRC) Workshop and Managing Compliance & Risk at the Lagos Business School. He joined NEXIM Bank in September 2021 as Board Secretary/ Legal Adviser and was recently appointed Executive Director (Corporate Services) on the 21st of February 2024.
GM / Head, Strategy and Corporate Communications Group
Olatayo Omidiji.
— GM / Head, Strategy and Corporate Communications Department
Tayo Omidiji obtained the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Agricultural Economics in 1988 and 1992, respectively from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria. He also earned a Master’s degree in Economic Policy Management in 2001 from the University of Ghana, Legon Ghana, an international programme designed by the World Bank Economic Research Institute to train all-rounded economic policy advisors and sponsored by the World Bank and the African Capacity Building Foundation.
A banking professional and business analyst with very deep knowledge of the Nigerian and global economy, his work experience spans over 25 years in the Nigerian financial services sector during which he has served as economic/policy analyst, business information specialist, investment analyst and strategy/ planning manager.
He currently has responsibility for coordinating the strategy crafting and implementation programme in NEXIM Bank, in addition to keeping abreast of developments and providing strategic advice on the domestic and global markets, particularly those that affect international trade and investments. He also coordinates the corporate communications and external relations management in the Bank.
Prior to joining NEXIM Bank, he has worked in various organizations where he held prominent positions, including Research Manager at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Head of Research and Financial Advisory at the Financial Derivatives Company Limited; Head of Strategic Planning at NAL Bank Plc and Head, Research & Strategy in Sterling Capital Markets Limited (then the Investment Dept of Sterling Bank Plc.).
Tayo played a prominent role in the strategy team that midwifed the transformation of NAL Bank from a Merchant Bank to a Universal Bank and was a key member of the strategy team that consolidated the five legacy institutions to become Sterling Bank Plc. He was responsible for setting up the research department of Sterling Capital Markets Limited, now SCM Capital Limited, and coordinated the economic and investment research that propelled the institution to become one of the leading firms in terms of the value of transactions handled in the Nigerian Capital Market between 2006 and 2008.
He has attended several domestic and international seminars and training programmes as a participant and as a resource person. He participated in the Israeli MASHAV Programme from January to February 1998 and is also an alumnus of the United States International Visitor Programme, having attended the programme on “Privatisation and the US Economy” from July to August 2003. He also attended the Authentic Leadership Development Programme at the Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.
DGM / Head Finance and Accounts Department
Rani Umar Dansarki
— DGM / Head Finance and Accounts Department.
Mr. Rani Umar Dansarki is currently the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank). He is primarily responsible for the planning, implementation, managing, and running of the finance activities of the Bank, including financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and negotiations.
Mr. Rani obtained a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Accounting from Bayero University, Kano in 1991 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Usman Dan-Fodio University, Sokoto in 2005.
Mr. Rani started his career as an Accountant II with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), in 1992 and later joined the service of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in 2002.
In January 2008, he joined the services of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and was posted to the Internal Audit Department where he anchored the implementation of the Federal Government of Nigeria five hundred million dollars textile revival fund. In January 2009 he was redeployed to the Finance and Accounts Department of the Bank and in January 2010 he was made the Head of the Department.
Mr. Rani oversaw the Bank’s transition from the Nigerian Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (N-GAAP) to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), a significant task which was completed in 2012. He also supervised the migration of the Bank to a new Core Banking Application (CBA) in 2019.
He has attended several executive leadership, management, and financial certification courses both local and international including the Leadership for Senior Executives at the prestigious Harvard Business School. He has skills and competencies in Financial Reporting, Financial Analysis, Financial Modelling, Budgeting, Treasury Management and Human Resource Management.
He is a Fellow Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), and Institute of Credit Administration (ICA), Chartered Institute of Taxation (CITN). He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria(CIBN).
DGM / Head, Information Technology Department
Eric Erenam Sambo
— DGM / Head, Information Technology Department.
Mr. Eric Erenam Sambo obtained B.Tech (Hons) in Computer Science (Second Class Upper) from ATBU, Bauchi in 1990 and MSc. Financial Mathematics, a Joint Higher Degree Programme (JHDP), from National Mathematical Centre / Abuja University, Abuja in 2010.
He is currently the Head of Information Technology Department of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank). His team is largely responsible for the implementation of the Banks IT Strategy, work plan and programs to ensure optimization of technology in the Bank’s business operations and ensure the overall management of the Bank’s IT infrastructure and resources.
Mr. Sambo started his career as Graduate Assistant with Oyo State University of Technology, OSUTECH (now LAUTECH), Ogbomosho in 1991 and later joined Inlaks Computers, Lagos, as Programmer/System Analyst. Thereafter, he worked at Commercial Trust Bank as System Analyst/Database Administrator before joining Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) in 1996 as IT Application Specialist/Database Administrator.
Mr. Sambo is an IT specialist with very deep knowledge and experience that cuts across many disciplines: academics, professional practice in value-added IT Services and Financial Services sectors. He has been involved in the development of many be-spoke applications software and served as project manager in the implementation/customization of many key turn-key IT projects such as accounting software, Core Banking software, 3rd party application development, integration/interface with Core application, etc. in many corporate organizations.
Mr. Sambo has attended several Trainings Courses and Seminars on Information Technology, Project Management and Leadership both locally and internationally including Authentic Leader Development (ALD) at Harvard Business School (HBS), Boston in December 2022.
He is a member of many professional bodies including Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria), MCPN and Nigeria Computer Society, MNCS.
DGM / Chief Risk and Compliance Officer
Sherif Umara Gubio
— DGM / Chief Risk and Compliance Officer
Mr. Gubio attended King’s College, Lagos, and proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated with a B.Pharm degree (1989). He subsequently obtained an MBA (Finance) degree from the University of Maiduguri (1995) with work experience spanning across the academia, pharmaceutical industry, and banking sector.
Commencing his banking career with the erstwhile FSB International Bank Plc in 1997 as a frontline (marketing) officer, he rose to become Branch Manager in the Kaduna South Branch of the Bank in 2003. While at FSB International Bank, he was a member of the Bank’s turnaround team with responsibility for the execution of its change management initiatives across its operational and service platforms.
Upon leaving FSB in 2004, Mr. Gubio joined the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc in 2004 as Group Head of the Advantium (Retail) Banking Group with responsibility for the North-west region.
In 2006, Mr. Gubio made a career change to take up a Risk Management role in UBA Plc, first as a credit underwriter/manager in the head office, and, subsequently, as head of Risk Management in UBA Sierra Leone Limited. This was sequel to his secondment to the budding subsidiary in 2008 as a member of the pioneer Management team that was charged with the responsibility of establishing the UBA brand presence in the West African country, thus contributing to drive the Bank’s regional expansion strategy. While there, he was also tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the Compliance function.
Mr. Gubio proceeded to join the services of the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank in October 2011. Serving first as Unit head of Credit Risk Management, he had a brief stint as Head, Calabar Regional Office, and is currently the Chief Risk and compliance Officer of the Bank and Head, Risk Management Department.
Notable courses he has attended and certifications/fellowships earned include: “Leadership for Senior Executives” at the Harvard Business School and Multilateral Trade Negotiations (ECOWAS/United Nations Institute for Training & Research e-learning programme, among others. He is also a Fellow of the Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals (AERM) and a chartered member of the Chartered Risk Management Institute (CRMI).
AGM / Head of Internal Audit Department