Kingsley Obiora
Kingsley Obiora | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 6, 1976 Nigeria |
| Occupation | Economist |
| Years active | 2003–2023 |
| Known for | Deputy Governor for Economic Policy at the Central Bank of Nigeria (2020–2023) |
Kingsley Obiora (born 6 March 1976) is a Nigerian economist who held the position of Deputy Governor for Economic Policy at the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2020 until 2023. He served under the leadership of former governor Godwin Emefiele until 15 September 2023.
Education
Obiora obtained his undergraduate degree in economics and statistics from the University of Benin (Nigeria) in 1999. He further advanced his studies by earning a master's degree in economics as well as a doctorate specializing in monetary and international economics from the University of Ibadan. In addition, he completed an executive education program at Harvard Business School.
Career
On 16 January 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Obiora as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, with confirmation by the Nigerian Senate following on 30 January 2020. His career includes joining the International Monetary Fund in 2007, where he worked within the European Department.
Between 2011 and 2014, Obiora acted as a technical adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan’s economic management team. Earlier, from 2003 to 2006, he was employed at the Centre for Econometric and Allied Research (CEAR). After serving as Special Adviser to the CBN governor from 2014 to 2018, he returned to the IMF as alternate executive director between 2018 and 2019.
In April 2020, Obiora was appointed chairman of Africa Finance Corporation, followed shortly by his May 2020 designation as chairman of the Board of Directors for the Nigerian Export-Import Bank.
CBN suspension
Obiora’s service at the Central Bank of Nigeria concluded amid the transition to Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which led to the dismissal of CBN governor Godwin Emefiele under contentious conditions. This development also impacted Obiora and other deputy governors such as Folashodun Shonubi, Aishah Ahmad, and Edward Lametek Adamu. On 1 September 2023, reports indicated that Obiora was detained by the Department of State Security during investigations associated with the CBN but was released soon after.