President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mrs. Aishah Ahmad, as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
According to a statement on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President had presented Ahmad to the Senate for confirmation.
Adesina said the woman would replace a former Deputy Governor, who retired early this year.
“In accordance with the provisions of Section 8(1) (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2007, President Buhari urged the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to consider the expeditious confirmation of Mrs. Ahmad, who would then resume work immediately,” the statement read.
The presidential spokesman added that Buhari had written the Senate, seeking the confirmation of appointment of members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN.
He said the appointees were to replace four members, whose tenure expires at the end of this year.
“The nominees are: Prof. Adeola Festus Adenikinju; Dr. Aliyu Rafindadi Sanusi; Dr. Robert Chikwendu Asogwa and Dr.Asheikh A. Maidugu.
“After Senate clearance, the new members of the Monetary Policy Committee are to resume duties next January,” the statement added.
Born October 26, 1977, Mrs. Ahmad, an indigene of Niger State, was, prior to her appointment, the Executive Director (Retail Banking) at Diamond Bank Plc.
She is the chairperson of the executive council of Women in Management, Business and Public Service, WIMBIZ, a Nigerian non-profit organisation, established in 2001, focused on addressing issues affecting the interest of women professionals in business, with particular attention on promoting leadership development and building capacities to engender growth.
Mrs. Ahmad’s appointment is expected to fill the void created by the exit of the former deputy governor in charge of Economic Policy, Sarah Alade, who retired from the Central Bank in March 2017 as the only woman in the top hierarchy of the apex bank.
Mrs. Ahmad’s professional banking experience traverses the NAL Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc.
A member of the Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, CAIA Associations, Mrs. Ahmad was until her appointment in charge of the Consumer Banking Division at Diamond Bank Plc, covering the consumer banking, privilege banking, retail assets chains.
A holder of the Master of Science, MSc in Finance & Management from the Cranfield School of Management in the United Kingdom, Mrs. Ahmad, an accounting graduate from the University of Abuja, also has a Master of Business Administration, MBA in finance from the University of Lagos.
She is married to Abdallah Ahmad, a retired brigadier-general. They have two sons.