Dr Bala Mohammed Bello, Executive Director Coporate Services Nigeria Export Import (NEXIM) Bank, winner of Abuja’s Most Outstanding Under 50 Public Servant for Team Building 2021: He has more than two decades experience in the financial services industry, spanning through banking, capital market and pension fund management. He has worked at senior executive level in the last seven years prior to his appointment as Executive Director at the Nigerian Export Export-Import Bank in 2017. Dr. Bello holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting, and an MBA, both from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He began his banking career with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc; and later joined the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In 2005, he joined Sigma Pensions Ltd, and was appointed the first Nigerian Executive Director/Chief Operating officer in 2011 and later Executive Director Operations from 2013 to 2014. In this capacity, he had direct administrative responsibility for over N260 billion ($1.5 billion) funds/assets under management (A-U-M). Dr. Bala established and served as the founding CEO of Marine Capital Limited, a real estate development and business/pensions advisory firm in February 2015; and subsequently joined Apricot Investments Limited in March 2016 as the pioneer Managing Director/CEO. Dr. Bala has completed the High Potential Leadership Program at Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts and Executive Development Program at Wharton Business School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania both in the United States of America. He also holds a certificate in Operations Leadership from the prestigious Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, Canada, as well as Portfolio Management Academy Certificate at the New York Institute of Finance. He has also successfully completed modules 1 & 2 of the highly sought-after GMP programme at the Harvard Business School in March 2020.
He is an honorary senior member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, a Fellow of the Institute of Credit administration, a member of the Institute of Directors, a member of the Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria, and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management. He was conferred with Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) in Leadership and Management by ESAE University, Republic of Benin, and Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) by Commonwealth University in conjunction with London Graduate School.