Tinubu Nominated Dattijo as CBN Deputy Governor.

Tinubu nominated Dattijo as CBN Deputy Governor.

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The nomination of Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, also known as Dattijo, as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has received praise from stakeholders and development economists. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the announcement.

NewsReport Nigeria reports that the nomination, which was announced by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, to the President, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement last Friday, was greeted with excitement.

In a social media post, Joe Abah, the Nigeria Country Director of Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI), an international development partner, described Dattijo as an “exceedingly bright development economist.”

He commended the president for the nomination, which he believed was done on merit.

In various social media posts, other development economists commended the President on the appointment of the CBN Governor and four deputy governors, describing the development as an opportunity for a new beginning for Nigeria’s economy. Abdullahi holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, an M.Sc. in Development Economics and Policy from the University of Manchester, and a second Masters Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

He has also attended executive courses on public finance at the London School of Economics, sustainable development at Columbia University in New York, and advanced project management at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

He is currently in pursuit of a doctoral degree at the Henley Business School, University of Reading. Abudullahi is a development economist with nearly two decades of experience in development policy formulation, public finance, and project implementation.

He has served as a policy adviser at the Executive Office of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York.

He was a member of the Secretary General’s core team that designed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Prior to his time at the UN, Dattijo served as an economist and Deputy National Programme Manager in Nigeria’s Presidency, where he supported the design and coordination of development interventions across 36 states, focusing on accelerating the country’s progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Tinubu nominated Dattijo as CBN Deputy Governor.

He was subsequently appointed Economic Adviser of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, a political and policy think tank for the country’s 36 state governors.

In 2018, he was one of two Nigerians appointed to the World Bank Expert Advisory Council on Citizen Engagement.

He was also recently appointed by the prestigious Henley Business School, University of Reading, United Kingdom, as an associate and founding member of its Dunning Africa Center.

In a bid to tap into his experience as a seasoned development economist, Abdullahi was appointed to the Kaduna State Government as Commissioner, Planning and Budget Commission (2015–2019), where he led the development of the Kaduna State Development Masterplan.

In July 2019, he was appointed Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kaduna State, where he served diligently until October 2021.

He was then reappointed as Commissioner for the Planning and Budget Commission, a position he held until March 2022, when he voluntarily resigned.

He is expected to bring to bear his enormous experience in implementing critical reforms at the CBN, which will enhance the confidence of Nigerians and international partners in the restructuring of the Nigerian economy toward sustainable growth and prosperity in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

He is a UK Chevening Scholar, a member of the University of Oxford Business Alumni Network, a fellow of the Archbishop Tutu Leadership Institute, and most recently a fellow of the Aspen Institute Africa Leadership Program (ALIWA).

He recently authored a bestselling book, Disruption: Rethinking Governance to Work for the Poor.