Buhari appoints Oyebode Oyetunde as Nigeria’s ED at AfDB

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Dr Oyebode Oyetunde as Executive Director for Nigeria at the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire.

Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

Before the appointment, Oyetunde was Senior Special Assistant to the President on Finance and Fiscal Policy as well as Legal Matters in the Office of the Chief of Staff to President.

He was also Special Adviser (Fiscal Policy) to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

The statement said: ”He is a Chartered Accountant and a fiscal policy tax expert with 24 years of experience in investment banking.

”Oyetunde, a Fiscal/Development expert, is a Ph.D graduate of Queen Mary and Westfield college, University of London and has a Law and Accounting Masters degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

”He is equally a legal practitioner qualified in Nigeria, England and Wales.

”He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).

”The Fiscal/Development expert worked in the Federal Ministry of Finance from 2008 to 2011, providing technical support in macroeconomic/fiscal policy, taxation and other aspects of public financial management.

”He has got high level experience with development finance institutions.”

According to the presidential aide, Oyetunde is taking over from Dr Bright Okogu whose tenure will come to an end at the bank on May 15, 2021 having served as a two-time Executive Director.

”The position of the Executive Director in AfDB is strategic as it affords Nigeria the opportunity to be in the forefront when key policy decisions are taken regarding the African region,” he added.

Reacting to the appointment, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed, thanked the President for considering Oyetunde for the exalted position.

“Dr Oyetunde is one of the functionaries who worked assiduously for the finalization of the Federal Budgets and the Finance Bills among others. He has the competence, experience and pedigree to fit into the office,” she said.