Strong governance in risk management and decisive asset recovery strategies have been emphasised as key drivers for stability and growth in the Nigerian financial sector.

Executive Director and Chief Risk Officer, Access Bank, Dr Gregory Ovie Jobome, who has overseen a transformation in the institution’s approach to credit risk and financial resilience, emphasised the need for banks to remain robust in the face of external shocks.

Jobome, who holds a PhD in Economics and has built frameworks that balance bold growth with prudence, said, “Risk management is not about avoiding risks, but taking calculated ones. Our responsibility is to ensure that the bank remains strong, no matter the external shocks.”

Under his leadership, Access Bank reduced non-performing loans, reinforced capital and liquidity buffers above regulatory thresholds, and embedded stress testing and scenario planning into everyday operations. Analysts say these measures have boosted investor confidence and safeguarded depositors while enabling expansion into digital channels, SME lending, and sustainability finance.

Complementing this top-level discipline is the work of Group Head of Remedial Assets Management, Tunde Bukunmi Aborisade. Tasked with distressed loan recovery and restructuring, Aborisade has led initiatives that turned uncertainty into opportunity, generating liquidity running into tens of billions of naira. His team’s efforts delivered about ₦20.2 billion in fresh capital.

“Our mandate is simple: every effective recovery strengthens the bank’s capacity to serve its customers and communities,” Aborisade said.