Men You Should Know: Ben Akabueze

Ben Akabueze is a Nigerian Chartered Accountant and the current Director-General of the Budget office for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He served as the CEO of NAL Bank Plc (now Sterling Bank Plc) and was two terms Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget with the Lagos State Government. Akabueze obtained a B.Sc in Accounting from the University of Lagos and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration and Management from the Lagos Business School.

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He was the Pastor-in-charge of Lagos Province 39 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God until his appointment with the Federal Government. He is married to Ngozi, the CEO of the Foundation for Sapphire (a non-profit organization). 

Career

Akabueze was elected the chief executive officer of NAL Bank Plc in 2000 a post he retained till its merger in 2005 to become Sterling Bank Plc. He was thereafter 2007 appointed as the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget by the Lagos State Government in 2015. In February 2016, he was appointed as Special Adviser to the President on National Planning and was made the Director-General for the Budget office in June. On 17 May 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari reappointed Akabueze as the Director-General of the Budget Office. Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration (FCA) and Honorary Member, Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN).

Public speaking

As the Director-General of Nigeria’s Debt Management Office he has engaged in public speaking at several events including Lagos Business School breakfast club where he spoke on budget and national strategy; leverage and synergy potentials, KPMG’s Nigeria Tax Breakfast seminar where he made a presentation on key objectives and expected impact of the FGN 2021 Budget making a case for the need for increased domestic revenue by state governments and other events where he continues to advocate for increased domestic revenue generation and more efficient management of allocated revenue.

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Previous Appointments

Ben Akabueze has held the following appointments in the past:

• NYSC, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Maiduguri, 1982-83; 
• Audit Mgr. PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 1983-88; 
• Relationship Mgr. Corporate Banking, Citibank Nigeria (formerly Nigeria International Bank), 1988-91; 
• Assistant Vice President/Unit Head, Word CorporationsGroup, 1991-93;
• General Manager. Corporate Banking, Fidelity Union Merchant Bank Limited, 1993-95;
• Investment Banking/ Controls &Corporate Banking, Fidelity Union Merchant Bank Limited, 1996; 
• Comm. Budget and Planning, Lagos State, January 2007-2015;
• Special Adviser to the President on National Planning, 2016.

Fellowship Membership and Awards

He has membership in the following associations:

– Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN);

– Fellow, Institute of Credit Administrators (FCA);

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– Honorary Member, Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN).

He is also a recipient of the following awards:

• Recipient, JF Kennedy Scholar Award;
• Recipient, National Merit Scholarship for academic excellence, 1980 – 1982;
• Recipient, Second Place Merit Prize by Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria Professional Exams, 1984;
• Recipient, Citibank Global Account Management award,1991;
• Recipient, Distinguished Citizen Award by Anambra State Development Foundation, 2003.

References

blerf.org

rccgtkclagos.com/our-head-pastor/

budgetoffice.gov.ng/

Featured Image Source: The Eagle Online

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