Shamsuddeen Usman - Banking

Banking

Dr Usman was head-hunted to become the Executive Director of United Bank for Africa in charge of the International and Investments Sector and due to his strong performance, their biggest rival at the time, Union Bank of Nigeria appointed him to become their Executive Director and Head of Corporate and International Banking. His time at Union Bank was short-lived as NAL Merchant Bank recruited him to become their Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, a post that he kept for over five years. He was also a Member of the Committee on Vision 2010.

At the return to democracy in Nigeria in 1999, Usman was appointed as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in charge of Domestic Monetary and Banking Policy, later modified to Financial Sector Surveillance. He was also responsible for heading Project Eagles, the Central Bank of Nigeria's reform programme, responsible for converting the organisation into one of the most efficient, effective and goal-focused institutions in Nigeria. From January 2004 - June 2007 he was the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in charge of the Operations Directorate. From 2005, he served as Chairman and then Alternate Chairman of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Limited (NSPMC). In this role, he oversaw the introduction of N500 and N1000 notes and the reorganisation of the Mint into a more profitable company with greater operating efficiency.

He has served as the Chairman of the Abuja Stock Exchange, Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM) and Financial Institutions Training Centre. Dr Shamsuddeen Usman has also served as a President of the Nigerian Economic Society and is a Fellow of the Society. He is also a Board Member of the African Economic Research Consortium and the African Export-Import Bank.