Tokunbo Abiru
Mukhail Abiru | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1964 Nigeria |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, banking professional |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District; former Group Managing Director/CEO of Polaris Bank Limited; former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance |
Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru (born 25 March 1964) is a Nigerian politician and banking professional who currently represents the Lagos East Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly of Nigeria as a Senator.
Education
Abiru earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Lagos State University. He further enhanced his expertise by completing the Senior Management Program at Lagos Business School and the Advanced Management Program, a six-week course at Harvard Business School. He is recognized as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and holds an Honorary Senior Membership with the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
Banking
Between 2013 and 2016, Abiru held the position of Executive Director at First Bank Nigeria Ltd. Prior to that, from 2011 to 2013, he served as the Honourable Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, working under Governor Babatunde Fashola. In July 2016, following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s intervention in Skye Bank, he was appointed Group Managing Director/CEO to oversee its restructuring, which led to the establishment of Polaris Bank Limited.
His governance experience extends to board roles at Airtel Mobile Networks Limited; FBN Capital Limited (now known as FBN Quest Merchant Bank Limited); FBN Bank Sierra Leone; and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Abiru contributed 150,000 face masks to educational institutions within his constituency.
On 24 August 2020, he stepped down from his role at Polaris Bank to pursue election for the Lagos East senatorial seat under the banner of the All Progressives Congress.
Public Sector
As Lagos State’s Commissioner for Finance, Abiru facilitated the issuance of an N80 billion bond that secured the EMEA Finance Best Local Currency Bond Award in 2012. In 2013, he implemented tax reforms after identifying more than 5.5 million individuals evading taxes, which increased Land Use Charge collections to N6.2 billion. He also participates in the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (HOMs) Committee, which aims to alleviate housing shortages in the state.
On 8 August 2023, Abiru was appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking. He won election as senator for Lagos East Senatorial District during a bye-election held on 5 December 2020.