Sanusi Lamido Sanusi life and biography

Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is a Nigerian know economist who was appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on 3 June 2009. He is a career banker and ranking Fulani nobleman, and also serves as a respected Islamic scholar. The renowned global financial intelliegence magazine, The Banker, published by the Financial Times, has conferred on Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi two awards.

He had his West African School Certificate at the prestigious King’s College, Lagos in 1977. He then proceeded to the equally prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics in 1981 and he did the course work for Master of Science degree in Economics with distinction in Monetary Policy in 1983. He earlier did his National Youth Service in former Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba States).

Sanusi has been named as the Central Bank Governor of 2010 for both the African continent and the entire world, by the prestigious Banker Magazi

Mallam Sanusi’s quest for knowledge took him outside the shores of Nigeria as he headed to Khartoun, Sudan where he bagged a first class degree in Sharia and Islamic Studies from the African International University in 1997.

Sanusi combines a career in banking with a strong background in intellectualism. He started his working career in 1983, as an academic at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he taught economics. In 1985, he moved into banking industry as a merchant banker with Icon Limited (Merchant Bankers), a subsidiary of Morgan Guaranty Trust Bank of New York, and Baring Brothers of London. Thereafter, he joined the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) in 1997 as a Principal Manager in the Credit and Risk Management Division where he rose to the position of a General Manager. In September 2005, he joined the Board of First Bank of Nigeria PLC as an Executive Director in charge of Risk and Management Control.

He is reputed to have championed remarkable developments in FBN enterprise, risk and management control mechanisms. As general manager at UBA, Sanusi anchored the transformation of the credit and risk management division into an enterprising risk management sector, and spearheaded UBA's Basel 2 focus by establishing the framework, policies, processes and systems necessary for compliance with the guidelines of the new capital accord.

As Executive Director, Risk & Management Control of First Bank PLC, he was said to have championed remarkable developments in the bank's enterprise risk and management control mechanisms. He took over the mantle of leadership as the Group Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria PLC in January 2009. He was also the Chairman, Kakawa Discount House and sat on the Board of FBN Bank (UK) Limited.

The TIME magazine also named Sanusi in its TIMES 100 list of most influential people of 2011. He has been recognised with the global award for Central Bank Governor of the Year, as well as for Central Bank Governor of the Year for Africa.

As a prolific writer, Sanusi has presented papers at National and International conferences bordering on banking, politics, religion and society. These include:

“The New Capital Accord (Basel 2) : The Standardized Approach to Minimum Capital Requirements Under the First Pillar” – 2004
“Managing Credit Risk Under Basel 2” – 2004
“Bank Lending: Approval Administration & Control” – 2004
“The New Capital Accord (Basel 2): Challenges, Opportunities and Threats” – 2004
“Managing Risks in the Nigerian Financial Services Industry: An Operator’s Perspective” - 2005
“Framework for Sound Risk Management” – 2005
“Practical Implementation Challenges for Audit of Risk Management in Emerging Economies” – Hilton Hotel, Kenya – 2006

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