The Non-Interest Financial Institutions Association of Nigeria (NIFIAN), on Thursday announced the election of the Managing Director of Jaiz Bank Plc. Hassan Usman as its pioneer President.
Usman was inaugurated with the body’s other Executive Committee (ExCo) members to oversee the affairs of the group, which comprises CEOs of all non-interest financial and related service providers in the country for a term of 2 years.
Others elected into other offices are Hajara Adeola, Managing Director/CEO, Lotus Capital Limited as Vice-President; Norfadelizan Abdulrahman, Managing Director/CEO of TAJBank Limited as Treasurer; and Fatai Ola Bakare, the in-house legal counsel and Islamic Finance expert at SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited as the Secretary-General.
The body’s other ExCo members include, Thaibat Adeniran, Managing Director/CEO, Cornerstone Takaful Nigeria Limited; Aminu Tukur, Managing Director/CEO, Noor Takaful Limited and Dr. Basheer Oshodi, CEO, TrustBank Arthur Limited.
In his opening remarks during the ExCo’s inauguration, the Chairman of NIFIAN’s Board of Trustees, Babayo Saidu, said the association was registered on 28th August 2020, and duly incorporated at the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act.
In his inaugural address, Hassan Usman said the journey on non-interest financial services provision in Nigeria started over a decade ago with Nigeria Islamic Finance Working Group, a multi-institutional platform under the auspices of Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA)
He said: “As today marks a new chapter in our pursuit, I would like to reiterate the fact that we are not there yet. This course is a journey and not a destination.
“While the overarching objective remains constant, the detailed operational and strategic initiatives of the association shall continue to evolve to meet the requirements of the day”, Usman added.
