Mr. Hafiz Mohammed Bashir has been chosen by Unity Bank Plc as the board of directors acting chairman. The board also named Halima Babangida and Iyabo Obasanjo as non-executive directors.
The appointments were made following the retirement of Mr. Aminu Babangida as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Dr. Oluwafunsho Obasanjo as Non-Executive Director, according to a corporate declaration signed by Company Secretary, Alaba Williams to be effective from March 18, 2023.
Due to the prescribed tenure for non-executive directors under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Code of Corporate Governance for banks, their term as directors on the bank’s board of directors have expired.
The bank stated that Bashir was appointed to the board of Unity Bank Plc on November 21, 2017, and that he served as chairman of the board’s finance and general purpose committee. He served on several committees including the Board Governance and Nominating Committee, the Board Risk Management and Audit Committee, and the Board of Credit Committee.
Bashir is a talented and versatile individual with extensive experience in the public and commercial sectors. He has demonstrated his ability to lead with enthusiasm, has a history of effective management, and has a wealth of experience in operations and project management.
He has a postgraduate degree from Bauchi’s Abubakar Tafawa Belewa University and a master’s degree in business administration from the Netherlands’ Management School.
While Iyabo Obasanjo is a faculty affiliate and associate professor in the College of William & Mary’s Africana Studies Program in Williamsburg, Virginia, in the United States. She was also a prominent Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, State Commissioner for Health for the Ministry of Health in Ogun State, and an Assistant Professor at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, the United States.
Obasanjo studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Ibadan. She furthered her studies at the University of California, Davis, USA, and acquired a Master’s in Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVP) she also has a Ph.D. in Epidemiology, Minor: Immunology from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
She is a multi-skilled professional with several years of solid experience, a track record of successful problem-solving, and solid leadership abilities. She has proven over the years that she is capable of creating fruitful commercial relationships, as shown by her impressive track record.
Ms. Halima Babangida has a track record as a strategic leader, turnaround manager, and visionary who can translate business plans into the highest profits at the lowest expense. She is quite educated in implementing required controls to increase profitability, develop strategic initiatives, and build contacts abroad.
She obtained degrees in Business Administration and Management from the Montreux School of Commerce in Switzerland and the AGSB Universality in Switzerland, respectively. She has relevant expertise in the stevedoring, logistics, agriculture/food chain, real estate, and property management industries.
