Urum Eke: What to know about the consultant who rejected Tinubu’s CBN appointment

On Thursday, Urum Eke, a consultant with the World Bank, declined President Bola Tinubu’s nomination to serve on the Central Bank of Nigeria Board of Directors. Tinubu had proposed to Eke and four others for confirmation on February 13. 

However, during the confirmation process, Senator Orji Kalu of Abia North informed the Senate that Eke had called him to decline the offer due to conflicts with his current World Bank consultancy. 

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This revelation occurred during Thursday’s plenary session as the Senate commenced the confirmation process for the nominees. Despite Eke’s withdrawal, the Senate confirmed the appointments of Robert Agbede, Ado Yakubu Wanka, Professor Murtala Sabo Sagagi, and Mrs. Muslimat Olanike Aliyu to the CBN Board of Directors.

In this piece, Crisp Nigeria highlights some facts about Eke:

Early Education and Academic Achievements:

• Born on November 20, 1964, Eke attended the Comprehensive Secondary School, Aba, and Government College, Umuahia, where he obtained his West African School Certificate and Higher School Certificate respectively.
• He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Lagos in 1985.
• Later, he pursued a Master in Business Administration in Projects Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri in 2008.

Professional development

• Eke is an Alumnus of prestigious institutions such as Lagos Business School and Wharton Business School.
• He began his career in 1986 with Deloitte Haskins & Sells International as a senior auditor.
• He served as an Executive Director at Diamond Bank Plc for 19 years (1992 – 2011).
• Eke is recognized as a consummate financial services expert.

Leadership roles

• He served as the Group Managing Director at First Bank of Nigeria Holdings Plc.
• Eke held Non-Executive Director positions on the Boards of FBN Limited and FBN Merchant Bank Limited.

Public service and recognition

• In 2017, Eke was appointed to the board of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (Sovereign Wealth Fund), where he served until 2021.
• He is a recipient of Nigeria’s National Order of Merit and National Honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic.

Entrepreneurial ventures

•  Eke is the Executive Chairman of Fairchild Group, which includes Fairchild Capital Ltd, Fairchild Base Investment Ltd, Fairchild Ventures Ltd, among others.
• He chairs the Board of Directors of NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre, a leading cancer treatment center in West Africa.

Extensive experience

• With over 35 years of experience in financial services, Eke has expertise in auditing, business assurance, consulting, and more.