Fidelity Bank Plc. has announced the appointment of Engr. Henry Ikem Obih as an Independent Non-Executive Director with effect from September 21, 2020 and Dr. Kenneth Onyewuchi Opara as an Executive Director. In a statement, the lender said the appointments have been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to the statement, Dr. Opara will assume office as the Executive Director in charge of the Lagos & South-West Directorate on January 1, 2021, taking over leadership of the Directorate from Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe who was recently appointed Managing Director/CEODesignate. Mrs. Onyeali-Ikpe will succeed Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo who retires as Managing Director/CEO on December 31, 2020, upon the completion of his contract tenure in line with the internal policies of the bank.
“Both appointments are in furtherance of our positioning for the next growth phase. We welcome Henry and Ken to the Board and believe they will make significant contributions that will sustain the performance trajectory of the bank in line with our strategic intent,” said Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi, Chairman, Board of Directors of the bank.
Engr. Obih was the Group Executive Director/ Chief Operating Officer (Downstream), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) until his retirement in 2019 and was subsequently appointed to the Board of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) in July 2020.
He joins the Board of Fidelity Bank with significant cross-functional work experience and exposure spanning over three decades, across different climes including Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Prior to joining NNPC as GED/COO in 2016, Obih had a stellar 22-year career at Mobil Oil Nigeria (ExxonMobil Nigeria Downstream) and held several high-profile positions in the company including being Executive Director, Retail and Executive Director, Operations, Customer Service and Logistics.
Obih holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and an MBA in Financial Management from the University of Bradford, Yorkshire, England.
Dr. Opara who currently serves as General Manager/ Regional Bank Head, Ikeja Region, has over 29 years’ experience in banking and worked at various financial institutions including legacy Omega Bank Plc., Equatorial Trust Bank Plc. and Manny Bank Plc., before joining Fidelity Bank in 2006, following its merger with Manny Bank Plc.
He has core-banking experience in diverse areas of banking including Credit, Treasury, Retail, Consumer and Commercial Banking, International Operations and Corporate Banking and has held senior management positions in the industry.
“The appointment of Ken is well deserved and in line with our succession planning policy. He has made significant contributions to the growth of the Region as well as the various Divisions he has headed in the bank,” said Okonkwo.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Finance and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a PhD in Credit Management from International University of Panama