WAIFC Appoints EnterpriseNGR CEO On Board

The World Alliance of International Financial Centers(WAIFC), at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting(AGM) held recently in New York, United States, has appointed the chief executive officer(CEO) of EnterpriseNGR, Obi Ibekwe, on its board.

WAIFC is a global network of leading financial centres, dedicated to promoting cooperation and collaboration among its members.

Earlier in April, EnterpriseNGR launched Nigeria on the global financial ecosystem when it became a member of WAIFC – a remarkable achievement that underscores EnterpriseNGR’s commitment to advance Nigeria’s transformation as Africa’s premier financial services centre.

By aligning with international best practices and connecting with financial centres around the world, the member-led advocacy group that promotes the growth and development of Nigeria’s Financial and Professional Services (FPS) sector, is expanding its global network, and contributing to the growth and development of its members and in essence, the Nigerian economy.

In her reaction, the EnterpriseNGR CEO thanked the WAIFC board for the opportunity to contribute to the success of WAIFC and highlighted Nigeria’s role in advancing the African continent. She stated that, “Nigeria’s FPS sector is on track to position the country as Africa’s premier international financial center by creating an enabling environment for its FPS sector. At EnterpriseNGR, we are driven by this agenda and believe that strategic collaborations with global organisations like WAIFC are fundamental to achieving our mission of facilitating economic development in Nigeria.

“The FPS sector is critical to every nation, it is a huge determinant of successful economies thus, EnterpriseNGR and its esteemed members are fully committed to ensuring the issues affecting the FPS sector are effectively addressed so Nigeria witnesses. I am pleased to associate with WAIFC and look forward to leveraging the inherent benefits of EnterpriseNGR’s membership of WAIFC, for the good of Nigeria and the African continent.”

Obi has extensive corporate level experience spanning over two decades and across various sub sectors of the Financial and Professional Services space. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, USA, an MBA from the prestigious Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, and a Law degree from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986.

Prior to joining EnterpriseNGR, Obi sat on various Boards and held key management positions bordering Management Consulting, Credit and Marketing, Credit Risk Management and Human Resources. During her career, she worked in some of the largest banks in the country including, Diamond Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc from where she retired as an Executive Director in 2016.

EnterpriseNGR has continued to advocate for the FPS sector in Nigeria, pursuing its mission to be a leading voice and champion for the development and transformation of Nigeria by actively collaborating with its members, industry partners, policymakers, regulators and other stakeholders to actualize its mission.

Founded by some of Nigeria’s leading Financial and Professional Services (FPS) players, EnterpriseNGR seeks to promote a strong Financial and Professional Services (FPS) sector to foster an enabling environment for the sustainable development of the Nigerian economy.