About CBN

Board of the CBN

Dr. Bala M. Bello
Deputy Governor, Corporate Services Directorate - Since 10/5/2023

B.SC., MBA, FCCrFA, ACIP, HCIB, FICA, ACE, M.IoD, ANIM, SMA, HPLP (HARVARD), EDP (WHARTON), LCOR (STANFORD, USA), PMA (NEW YORK), IOLP (IVEY, CANADA), EITC (CANADA), EMADIN (BRUSSELS)

Dr. Bala M. Bello assumed office as a Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on October 5, 2023.

Before his appointment at the CBN, Bala was the Executive Director (Corporate Services) of Nigerian Export - Import Bank, as appointed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 20th April, 2017.

Bala M. Bello has successfully completed the High Potential Leadership Program (HPLP) at Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts and Executive Development Program (EDP) at Wharton Business School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania both in the United States of America. In addition to a certificate in Operations Leadership from the prestigious Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, Canada, as well as Portfolio Management Academy Certificate, New York Institute of Finance, he holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and an MBA from The Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

A certified strategic management performance system professional by LBL Strategies / George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership, Bala holds a Stanford Graduate School of Management Certificate in Leading Change and Organizational Renewal (LCOR). He commenced his banking career with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and later joined the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Financial Analyst. He was commended several times by both SEC and CBN Training School for outstanding performance. He was a member of the SEC Committee that reviewed the Investments and Securities Act between 2002 and 2003 from where he joined Sigma Pensions Ltd in 2005 as the pioneer Head of Research & Strategy and later Head, Investment and Treasury Department.

He was appointed the first indigenous Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of Sigma Pensions in January 2011 and Executive Director (Operations) from January 2013 to December 2014. In this capacity, he had direct administrative oversight and managerial responsibility of over $1.5 billion of pension funds/assets under management (A-U-M), Budget preparations and other financial activities of the Company.

A Fellow Chartered Certified Forensic Accountant/Auditor (FCCrFA), Bala is an honorary senior member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, a fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration, a member of the Institute of Directors, the Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria, and Nigerian Institute of Management. He has successfully completed the Bank Examiners Course (BEC) organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria. While at Guaranty Trust Bank Training School, he was the overall best participant in Economics. He also won The Okonjo Iweala Award as the Best Treasurer in FHDL Bond Simulation and Fixed Income Training, Lagos in 2006. He was also conferred with Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) by CommonWealth University in conjunction with London Graduate School and Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) in Leadership and Management by ESAE University, Republic of Benin.

Bala was recently awarded the Ambassador for Peace by the Universal Peace Federation / International Federation for world Peace (UPF / IFWP), a global award for those individuals whose lives exemplify the ideal of living for the sake of others.

An expert in CandleSticks (Technical Analysis), he has attended several courses on Investment Management, Wealth Creation, Portfolio Construction, Strategic Management Systems, Technical Analysis, and Financial Sector Surveillance both locally and overseas. He holds a certificate from Beafort Institute (Sandton, South Africa), Share Direct (Midrand, South Africa), West African Capital Market Institute (Accra), EITC Leadership Initiatives (Ontario, Canada) and European Management Development Institute (EMADIN - Brussels, Belgium) among others.

With over 21 years meritorious service (the last 10 years at Executive level) in the financial services sector spanning through Banking, Capital Market, Development Finance and Pensions Funds management, Bala co-founded Marine Capital Limited, a private sector driven project finance, real estate development and strategic business advisory firm based in Abuja. He was the pioneer CEO of Marine Capital Limited from where he joined Apricot Investments Limited in March 2016 as the pioneer Managing Director/CEO.

He is a Member of the Finance Committee of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and an Honorary Senior Member of the Institute.

See List of Retired Board Members
See List of Serving Board Members
See Past and Present Governors of the CBN
See Frequently Asked Questions about the CBN Board

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