Ecobank Nigeria Gets New Managing Director

By Tosin Olatokunbo

Ecobank Group has appointed Jubril Mobolaji Lawal as the managing director designate of Ecobank Nigeria, a subsidiary of the pan -African bank, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The managing director designate will also double as the regional director, the bank said in a statement on Monday, signed by Adenike Laoye group head, corporate communications, who said Lawal will take over from Patrick Akinwuntan’s who is retiring in January 2022.

According to the statement: “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.

“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.

Speaking on the appointment, Ade Ayeyemi, CEO, Ecobank Group chief executive, said the managing director designate will bring to his new role, a vast experience in the financial sector

Ayeyemi 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,” Ayeyemi said.

“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.

The pan-African bank Group CEO has a kind word for the retiring managing director.

“We warmly congratulate Patrick as he prepares to retire having given over 25 years of solid contributions to Ecobank. His contributions to the Ecobank Group have been invaluable.

“On behalf of the entire Ecobank Group, I thank him for his years of commitment to the pan-African ideals of Ecobank, his loyalty, and hard work in the various positions he has held, most recently as Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria, where he has repositioned the franchise for growth. Patrick is leaving an indelible mark and will continue to be a cherished member of the Ecobank family,” he said.